Gundam Seed: Iron Brotherhood
by The Watchman
Summary: Gundam Seed in the POV of soldiers. Each having seen and lived war. Each one with a story, some with painful memories, others with dark secrets. All struggling in a world gone mad by war. A GSeed AU with slight Wing and UC crossover, Read for pairings
1. Phase1: The Peacekeepers

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED belongs to Bandai Animation

**Disclaimer:** Gundam SEED belongs to Bandai Animation. All the Equatorial Union and the GAT-zero series mobile suits and United Nations personnel mentioned in this fic belong to me.

**Fair warning:** 1st, some parts of this fic are based on the manga version. 2nd, there's going to be some military terms used in this fic. Also, this fic will focus more on my cast, I'm assuming you already watched the show.

This is my first Gundam Seed fic, hope you'll like it.

**Gundam Seed: Iron Brotherhood**

**Phase 01: The Peacekeepers **

--

**As the shuttle began to dock into Heliopolis, Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire stares out the window**.  
Outside he sees the Earth, the only planet in the solar system blessed with the phenomenon called life. Out of nine planets, it's the only one that has the elements to support it.

_And yet this blessing may well also be its curse_, Antonio thought sadly.

Gaia, the Earth, was scarred by countless centuries of wars. Wars started by man. Wars started sometimes by good reasons and reasonable causes, but most of the time it's started by greed, fear, hate and misunderstanding.

_For so long there is man, there shall always be war._ (-Albert Einstein)

Antonio ran his hand through his short black hair, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "My poor dear Gaia, what has become of thee?"

"What was that?" The young blonde teenage girl sitting next him asked.

He looked at her on the corner of his soft sky blue eyes. "It's nothing, just thinking out loud." He answered calmly. "You should get ready Cagalli, we'll be docking soon."

She nodded, donning a pair of heavy tint sunglasses.

Antonio then turned his attention to his partner and best friend, Major Michael Takahashi.

His eyes were closed, he leaned his slightly inclined backrest, wearing a pair of ear buds probably listening to either a Lacus Clyne song or some old school rock.

As if she was reading his mind, Cagalli starts shaking him. "Wake up lazy ass."

It took five minutes or so, but he eventually wakes up. "We're here... already...?" He yawned, taking the earpieces off.

"Yes." Cagalli replied. "Now rise and shine, you bum."

"Yeah, yeah." Michael mumbled, squinting as his emerald green eyes adjusted to the light. He runs his hand through his dark brown hair and scratches the back of his head.

After they had docked in, Michael said, "Well? What're we waiting for? Let's go."

--

**After about half an hour of getting off the shuttle, retrieving their bags and going through security, they finally make it out into the colony.**

Waiting for them was a soldier dressed in a dark green army fatigue and the UN peacekeeper's light blue beret. He had brown eyes and dark long hair that was held together with a ponytail.

He saluted upon approaching them, "Hope you had a good journey sir."

Michael nods, "It was fine, at ease Lt. Spear"

"How're things doing here?" Antonio asked

Spear shrugged. "Not much sir, aside from a few mix-ups with shipments, things are as calm as it can be.

The lieutenant then grinned, "By the way nice suit sir."

Antonio wore an expensive looking Armani brand suit and shirt. He flushed when Spear brought it up.

"Your salary must be pretty good." Spear added with a little envy in his voice.

He just laughed, "It's not what you think, sorry Danny."

He places a hand on Cagalli's shoulder, "She gave it to me as a gift on my birthday."

Cagalli blushes a little.

"I guess it pays to be an old friend of an Orb Noble family." Michael quipped.

"He earned it Mike," Cagalli glared at him.

Antonio rolled his eyes.

_Here we go_, he thought, expecting the two to start bickering again.

"Ahem," Lt. Daniel Spear cleared his throat. "We should be going to Morgenroete. Shall we?"

They all climbed aboard the jeep Daniel drove from the Morgenroete and went on their way.

"Thanks," Antonio whispered

"I did us both a favor." Daniel whispered back.

--

**After ten minutes driving through the colony, they finally make it to their destination, Morgenroete Incorporated's factory in Heliopolis.**

They drove to back, parking the jeep on its usual spot.

"Okay Cagalli," Antonio began. "Be back here as soon as you're done." He said with a stern tone. "If no one's here when you come back, just wait, okay?"

She frowns at him, "I'm not a kid anymore, Anton, so don't treat me like one."

"Just wanted to make sure your visit here's kept quiet," He takes his duffel bag and attaché' case from the back of the jeep. "I won't help your plans if some brownnoser recognizes you."

She sighs, "I know, I know, my father won't exactly be thrilled when he finds out what I've been doing behind his back."

"And," Michael added, lighting a cigarette. "Kisaka's going to get in a lot of trouble."

"You just _had_ to bring that up?" Cagalli grumbled but she knows they knew better and she trusted them and their decisions.

Antonio received a call from Col. Ledonir Kisaka, an officer of the 21st airborne unit of the Orb nation's Defense forces two days ago. He quite literally begged him to watch over Cagalli Yula Athha for at least a couple of days. Apparently he was arranging something for the two of them. Antonio didn't know the details but apparently it involved Cagalli and him going to Tassil, his hometown in the African Community, A ZAFT supporting nation. He wasn't sure what they're planning but he knew any attempt to talk them out of it was pointless and out of the question.

"Cagalli," Antonio looks straight into her eyes. "I don't know what you're planning but I'm not going to stop you, but all I'm asking from you is to take a few cautious steps because you'll probably not have a second chance at whatever you're doing."

She sighed again, but this time she gave a tired smile. "You win. Alright I'll be careful I promise."

Antonio smiles "Good."

He looks at the corner of his eye at Michael, who was talking to Daniel.

"I never did thank you for this suit." He bent a little to kiss her on the cheek.

Cagalli blushed a little, "It's okay, like I say said, you earned it."

"Well thanks anyway." He gave her a hug, which she accepted it well.

"Now remember," He whispered to her ear. "You're a big girl now, so act like one."

Cagalli rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, not caring if anyone saw her. "I will."

--

**Capt. Regina Alexis Dante stood up and salutes as she saw her superior officers.**

"At ease," Antonio said. "How are the two monsters doing?"

"Surprisingly well actually," The faded brunette haired, lavender-eyed captain replied. "C'mon, Mrs. Kajiura will give you the details." She then smiled at her commander, "Nice suit by the way…"

She led them through a labyrinth of halls and corridors that were all too familiar to them. Le Saint Claire's unit Taskforce Bravo had been a member of the G-project for 5 months now. Testing two secret prototype mobile suits designated GAT-X013 and GAT-X014, the first two working prototypes of the "Zero" series.

Both were created under the contract with the United Nations and its permanent peace keeping force UNAAF, which was currently composed of volunteer troops from the Equatorial Union, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, the Orb Union and people from warring nations who chose to remain neutral.

Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire and his team are also of the peacekeepers. The top brass and the current secretary-general chose them to test and troubleshoot the two G-weapons and the new EU mobile suit, the Wyvern.

The group entered one many assembly wings in the facility. Inside, there were four mobile suits. Two of which were look exactly alike, these were the Mk109 Wyverns. They were colored dark blue on the torso, white on the head and the limbs, while the flying equipment and visible weapon systems were either grey or black. Their basic body design was similar to those of the M1 Astray frames except during flight mode, the legs are designed to fold into the torso to reduce drag and increase mobility and handling.

Both machines stood on opposite positions facing each other. These suits performed well during their test run on the Philippine Sea. The OS for these units was similar to what most EU and Scandinavian pilots are used to. They require highly trained pilots who were also trained in using the ZAFT OS.

It was a procedure that OMNI- Enforcer or commonly known as the Earth Alliance had a hard time to adapt. There weren't any retired or former ZAFT pilots on the OMNI-Enforcer supporting countries who would willingly train their troops. Not to mention their Blue Cosmos backers would never support such a move.

Aside from the high training standard, which was common for Equatorial and Scandinavian mobile suits, The EUMS-Mk109 Wyvern was well on its way as the EU's, Scandinavian Kingdom's and UN Peacekeepers' new close ground aerial support and space mobile suit.

"How're they handling Regina?" Antonio tilted his head toward one of the wyverns.

The former Eurasian GIGN operative gave him a wide grin, "Like a dream Sarge." She replied, using a part of his nickname 'Le Sarge.' He was called this because of his drill sergeant-like way of issuing orders on the field.

"Everything is just great, the stability, maneuverability and speed are great. And the targeting system and reaction speeds are way better than the Dragonfly."

The Mk104 type 4 Dragonfly had been the standard aerial and space mobile suit for 4 years in the 3 neutral nations, though it was functional and workable, it was never been popular among MS pilots who use the variation. Part of the problem is the MK104 is designed for land and sea combat. Even with its modifications for air and space flight, it just barely passes. Regina has a lot of respect for the Mk104 but the type 4 version just doesn't cut it.

Antonio chuckles, "Looks like we're gonna have to start converting type 4s into other variations."

"They're better off that way." A loud, Aussie-accented voice laughed boisterously

He turns around to find another man in his team, Sgt. 1st class Franklin Snow, an auburn haired, brown-eyed ex-marine from Queensland.

Frank salutes his officer, "Aye boss, Specialist Lawman and the other techies already taken care of them hardware problems on the G's, sir. They should handle better now."

"I sure hope so" Michael replied placing a hand on the GAT-X014. "It'd be a shame if these big boys end up being scrapped."

"We have no intention of letting that happen." Another voice answered, this time was a young lady's.

Antonio turns to the directions of the assembly wing entrance. There stood two more members of his team, Spc. Lucian Helmsley Lawman and 2nd Lt. Janus Llewelyn Aelia and the woman in charge of the GAT-Zero project, Miyuki Kajiura.

"We worked too damn hard to see them get scrapped." Lucian added the black South African thumbed at the X013. "Besides, these things are ready for the second test tomorrow."

They did pass the first one," Janus chimed in. "Considering they were full of bugs and glitches."

"And since they're both ironed out "She continued. "Tomorrow should be a cinch."

Frank suddenly points an accusing finger at her, "Who are you! And what did you do to our most pessimistic teammate!"

After about a second of blank stares, everybody bursts out with laughter as what Frank said sank in.

"Very funny Frank," Janus said with a rueful grin. "And I'm a realist."

Kajiura shook Antonio's hand, "Nice to see you again sir."

"Likewise," He gestured to the X013. "So… what do you think Mrs. Kajiura?"

"They'll pass," She said simply. "And even if they don't, they'll have to get through me before they'll even scrap them."

Antonio smiled he could tell the resemblance to her father, she had the same hardliner attitude.

"Well enough about that," She readjusts her glasses and pushes a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I believe you came to see our progress."

"Yes ma'am," the Lt. Colonel replied. "The budget boys down on earth are starting to get stingey. I got to show them something or else they'll pull the plug."

Kajiura shook her head. "Damn pencil pushers," She muttered. "The test tomorrow should shut them up."

"I still need to show them something to hold them off."

She snaps her fingers, "How about the test data? The fact they passed in such bad state… can that keep them quiet?"

"That'll do." Michael nodded.

"Then by all means," Antonio said. "Let's send them that."

"Follow me Lt. Colonel," Kajiura said. "They're in my office."

When the two left the assembly wing everyone resumed to what they were doing.

"Hey Lucian," Daniel began. "I'm going to the next wing to check on my Headhunter. I need someone to help me integrate the A2 upgrades into the OS."

Lucian shrugs, "Sure. Hey Janus, you coming?"

The young blonde haired, blue-eyed coordinator shook her head, "No, I'm going to adjust the OS on my wyvern, sorry."

He looked disappointed but shrugged "Whatever you say."

He then turned to Frank, "How 'bout you man?"

Frank shrugged, "Sure why not." He closes his tool kit. "Pretty much done what I can here anyway."

"I'm going out for a drink," Regina declared she gave a wave as she walked toward the exit. "'later guys."

"And I'll just go check my boy's OS." Michael climbed the stairs to the GAT-X014's cockpit.

With that, everybody parted ways.

--

**Antonio and Miyuki didn't talk during the walk to her office. It was located in the executive branch of the complex. **

Antonio whistled when he realized where they were.

"It's just temporary," Kajiura said. She apparently knew what he was thinking "After this is over, they'll send me back to Orb and back to my office next to the janitor's closet."

"I feel sorry for the janitor." Antonio quipped.

"Very funny."

They entered her office. It was spacious, furnished in her typical style. In from of the rosewood desk there was a pair of peach colored sofas facing each other with a teakwood coffee table. There were several potted flowers on a rack on one side.

Antonio smiled when he saw what was on her desk aside from the console and pictures of her family, the Agni, The Le Saint Claire family heirloom.

It was a short sword, an Islamic Kris. The blade was adorned intricately with designs of vines and flowers with a blue jewel embedded on the base of the blade, the handle grip was made of fine black leather and the sword guard was made of gold, it too had an intricate design.

"I see, they finally handed it down," He began "I'm happy for you Yuki."

She smiled and shook her head, "You deserved it more than me. The Agni shouldn't be with me Ton-ton." She used his old family nickname.

"There's a reason you're entrusted with it." He decided to finish their task at hand and changes the subject. "Anyway we should get that data."

Miyuki nods, "Right." She quickly taps in a few keys, which initiated a downloading and began transferring data. After a few minutes she pulls out a UMD and hands it to Antonio.

"That's everything, now let's–"

Just then, Regina barges into the office, she held another woman by the arm. She wore an orange mechanic's uniform. She looked distressed, apparently by Regina claw-like grip.

"Sorry for the intrusion sir," She began. "But I found this one sneaking about near our wing."

Antonio's face instantly hardened as he eyed the unknown woman.

"How the hell did make it pass the perimeter inspection?" He demanded, "Did the guards let you in?"

The lady mechanic didn't budge, her eyes shifted between the Lt. Colonel and Mrs. Kajiura.

_Oh shit_, was all Murrue Ramius thought. It was bad enough she was caught by a superior officer. But she had the misfortune of being caught by one who reports _directly_ to one of the officers in charge. And it _just_ happened she had the luck to be caught by one of the officers of Lt. Col. Antonio "Le Sarge" Le Saint Claire, the Spartan of waves

She winces as the captain held her arm even tighter. If she didn't loosen her grip soon, Murrue would swear her arm would fall off.

"I can't believe this" Antonio rubs his temple. "Somebody's going to the guard house tonight…"

Murrue swallowed hard, wondering what Le Sarge would do to her. She felt a chill up her spine, as he looked straight into her eyes. She felt as though they went right through her.

"Can't you at least tell me your name?" He asked coolly.

_What the hell_, She thought. _He's going to find out anyway_. "Lt. Murrue Ramius sir."

That took Antonio by surprise, "Murrue Ramius! Admiral Lewis Halberton's protégé?" He yelled, looking at her more intently. "You better not be pulling my leg!"

"No sir," she tried to keep a level gaze despite her fear. "It's true." She hands him her ID.

Antonio looks hard at the ID. After examining it hands it back and said "12-32-65 Murrue Ramius?"

Murrue looks at him blankly.

"12-32-65 Murrue Ramius?" he repeated.

Murrue then realized what he was saying. Admiral Halberton's code! How did he know that?"

She started deciphering the numbers in her head.

_12-32-65- Murrue Ramius?_

_Are you really Murrue Ramius?_

"17-24-67-78." She answered.

_Yes I am sir._

"I see…" He said in a tone she didn't quite like. "Lt. Ramius don't tell me the OMNI-Enforcers are resorting to spying on us."

"No sir, it's not anything like that sir." _How the hell am I getting out of this? _"It's-"

"She snuck in for me," Kajiura answered. "Don't be so harsh on her."

Murrue's eyes widened, _Yuki! What are you doing!_

"What?" Antonio rapidly turned towards her, confused. "Do you know her?"

Kajiura nods, her tightly clasped together. "We were good friends back in high school."

Confused as Antonio was, Regina decided to take charge of the situation.

"Why is that Yuki?" She asked, letting her grip on Ramius loosen.

"Mama…?" a tiny voice said behind Antonio, he turns around to find Miyuki's two and a half year old daughter, Elle.

The little child rubbed her eyes holding her favorite stuffed teddy bear, Totoro, she was apparently asleep in the back room of the office. "Mama… what's go on?"

"Nothing dear," Miyuki answered gently. "I'm just talking with your uncle and his friends, go play in the back. I'll get anything you want when I'm done"

When Elle went back into the backroom, Miyuki manages to give a weak smile. "I guess I have some explaining to do."

Antonio simply nods, not saying anything.

"I guess you're aware I'm not allowed to leave the premises." Miyuki began, "After a few months into the project, I just couldn't stand leaving Elle home alone with a nanny anymore."

Antonio was perplexed, "Alone? Then why didn't just you ask Darren to watch over her?"

Miyuki smiles sadly, "Antonio…"

"He got killed during Bloody Valentine," Murrue answered for her.

Antonio turned to her "What? I thought he was in Germany during the time?"

Regina finally lets her go.

The brunette lieutenant shook her head, "It was a cover story, he was in Junius 7 during the time. He was supposed to have there as a diplomat for another attempt at ending this war peacefully, sir."

As the word sank in, Antonio suddenly felt angry, "Why wasn't she informed earlier."

"Because it was top secret," Ramius felt equally angry about it. "OMNI intelligence kept it under wraps until 4 months ago"

"One night, I snuck out to get some food for Elle," Miyuki continued. "That's when I met Murrue and she found what I was doing. That's when she started sneaking in here to keep Elle company when I was busy in the assembly wing."

There was an awkward silence in the room.

"Why didn't you just tell me, Miyuki?" Antonio finally asked. "I'm your closest cousin aren't I?"

"I'm sorry…" Miyuki looked done the floor. "I saw you guys were in so much pressure I didn't want to involve you in more problems."

"Yuki…" Regina sighed, "I'll be outside if you need me sir."

"No" he answered with clear voice. "Stay where you are captain."

He looked at Miyuki as sternly as his conscience would allow him. "You committed a serious breach in security, considering that you're in a high security project, I thought you'd knew better. I'm sorry Yuki, but you'll have to come with me."

Miyuki simply nodded, "I understand."

He turns to Murrue and Regina, "Lt. Ramius, you're free to go. Capt. Dante please look over Elle while we're gone."

Both stared at him in disbelief.

"You're seriously taking her in, sir…?" Ramius was in complete shock.

Even Regina, who was usually by the book couldn't believe how cold her commander was acting. "Sir, please reconsider… She has a very valid reason-"

Antonio silences her with a cold glare, "Are you questioning my decision Captain?"

She couldn't believe what she hearing but she didn't answer and backed down.

"How can you be so cold," Murrue asked, she had recovered from her shock, she clearly wasn't happy about what was happening.

Antonio looks back with a pained impression in his face, "It's not like happy about this Lieutenant."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because I have no choice."

Murrue shook her head in disbelief, "Are the regulations that God damn important to you?"

"Sempai," Miyuki pleaded. "Its okay, I–"

"No it's NOT okay!" She snapped. Her fear of the Lt. Colonel was gone; it was replaced by anger and outrage.

"Lieutenant, please don't get involved." Antonio kept his composure.

She glared at him, "I'm already involved."

"The penalties of her offenses as a civilian aren't as severe as–"

"That's beside the point!" Murrue planted herself firmly in front of him. "You're her family, you should've been the one defending her!"

Antonio expression hardened, "What I'm supposed to do? Act like this never happened? I don't have the luxury of overlooking protocol like you or Admiral Halberton for that matter."

Murrue's eyes turned into little slits, "How dare you…"

Antonio notices her clenched fists "What are you going to do? Hit me? Go ahead, I'll make sure you'll–"

Murrue Ramius didn't bother waiting for him to finish. She gave a good, clean, hard right hook to the jaw. The higher officer reeled back and fell down.

"Murrue-sempai!" Miyuki stares in shock, "What are you–?"

"It's okay," Murrue manages to smile. "I'm fine."

Regina simply stood there, not knowing what the hell to do.

Antonio groaned in pain as he sat up.

"Ton-ton…" Miyuki calls as goes to him as continues to glare at him.

"If you're going to court-martial Yuki then you're going to have court-martial me too." She manages to regain her composure but that didn't stop her from being defiant. "And don't you EVER speak ill of the Admiral again and I don't care if I'll be a lieutenant for the rest of my entire career because that felt good!"

That's when she realized that Antonio was smiling, "What the hell is so damn funny?"

Antonio couldn't take it anymore, he let's go and bursts out laughing.

It a few moments, but Regina and Miyuki sighed when they realized why was Antonio acting so cold.

Murrue however thought she had just knocked a superior officer's sanity out of him.

After his laughter subsides, he stands up, rubbing his jaw._ Damn, that was a good hit._

The first thing he did was smiled at Yuki, "See Yuki? You definitely deserve the Agni."

"Ton-ton…" She shook her head, "I can't believe you went that far…"

He then turns his attention to Regina, "Captain, can you get us something to eat?"

Regina shook her head and grinned, "Whatever sir."

"And get some ice and a first aid kit." Miyuki added, seeing the bruise starting to swell.

"Right."

The brunette captain left as a wildered Lt. Murrue Ramius tried in vain to make sense of it all, "Can somebody please tell me what's going on?"

Antonio simply smiles, "First of all that was one hell of a shot and I'm sorry about that remark about ol' Halberton."

"If you were a man, I would have said you had brass balls." He shook his head and pats her shoulder, "You're one gutsy woman, I can tell you that."

"Uh thanks… I think..."

"And finally thank you for watching over my niece. I appreciate it."

"You're… welcome..." Murrue was in a complete loss of words

"Congratulations Murrue," Miyuki smiled weakly. "You just passed the test of the Spartan of waves."

"Mama…? What's all that noise?"

--

**Murrue sat her bed, going over what had happened a few hours ago.**

The young Lieutenant didn't know what to expect when she was escorted to Yuki's office to meet Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire. But the person she expected to find was a hardened and embittered old mustang officer, she couldn't have more wrong.

He was still a mustang officer, a known radical thinker during his years as an Atlantic Federation enlisted man and then as an officer in his own nation, the Equatorial Union. And despite his rank, chose to remain on field duty

But he wasn't the bitter old man she though he was. In fact, he was much younger than she anticipated, along with being very calm and rather gentle.

From what Yuki explained, he acted the way he did because he wanted to test them both. They both passed when they both stood up for each other. And he also wanted to prove to Yuki that she deserved the Agni, the sword Murrue had seen numerous times on Yuki's desk. It was supposed to be given to the bravest of the family.

"The Agni was given to my great grand father by a rebel leader after his group had surrendered in 21ce." Yuki explained to her that afternoon. "He chose to hold the peace talks with the rebel group on their home territory despite that risk of being taken hostage. One of the leaders, Khalid Mustafa was so impressed by this that he had a smith fashion this sword for him. Khalid gave it as a symbol of friendship, respect and as a reminder of his bravery."

Murrue could understand why Yuki was given such an honor. Despite her timid nature, Yuki was much of a radical as her cousin was. Murrue had first hand experience of her during their high school days. She took calculated risks and stood up for her loved ones and belief. She faced everything without hesitation no matter how unpleasant the outcome. It was a trait Murrue admired her old best friend and Kohai for.

And today, Murrue made a new friend. She pulls out the passkey from her pocket, the Lt. Colonel had given her his spare executive passkey, and it would open any door in the facility even if they were locked down.

She refused it at first but eventually accepted because she had to admit; sneaking through three levels of guards was turning into a bothersome pain.

Murrue grinned as she remembered what he said as he left them in Yuki's office

"Care for a couple of drinks tonight?" And he gave her a quick wink.

That line alone was very scandalous.

She only knew him for an hour and she already liked him, as a friend anyway. She looks as her watch, 8:23pm; her shift was over ten minutes ago.

"Better get changed," Murrue told herself.

She doubted that he was trying to be romantic with her, he was being too direct to the point for that and he didn't strike her as man who settled for one-night stands and quickie relationships. And he did assure her it wasn't date. They're just going to go downtown and have a few drinks with Yuki and his team.

It was an opportunity for her to catch up with Yuki, since they had been out of touch for sometime now and it was a chance for her to get to know the Lt. Colonel.

--

**Maj. Michael Takahashi had been in the cockpit of the GAT-X014 for several hours now.**

He decided earlier to completely rewrite the whole MOS. It wasn't as hard to do as some people think. Sure, it's hard at first, but you eventually got used to it.

Michael had been raised along side coordinators; he never really understood why there was so much hate toward them. They live like us, talk like us, feel and love like us. They laugh and cry like the best and worst of us. No matter how you look at it, they're still human just as much as any natural.

He heard footsteps, was someone climbing the stairs to the cockpit. He raised his head to find Regina, holding on to the sides of the cockpit's door frame. "How's it going Mike?" She asked

"Almost done," he resumed typing. "Gina, why do some people hate coordinators so much?"

This was a typical question Regina got from Michael when they were alone together, usually involving politics or philosophy, they sometimes chat for hours.

She shrugged, leaning against the frame, "'Dunno, maybe because they're afraid of them."

"Maybe," Michael turns off the MS terminal. "Or maybe they felt inferior and they resented."

Regina nods, looking out toward the GAT-013. "Envy and pride have their ways of getting into even the most virtuous men."

"And yet that maybe all it really needs to get us all into this damn mess of a world war." Michael murmurs.

We should save this for another time." She gives him a tired smile, "I want to get that drink."

Michael grins, "Right."

--

**"Okay," Daniel runs the MOS. "I'll test her out now."**

"Roger," Both Lucian and Franklin backed away.

The Mk105 Headhunter, a mobile suit made specifically for snipers. It bore some features of the Mk104 like the all-terrain spider and hoverdyne system which makes it able to operate in almost any terrain with high maneuverability.

Its head was considerably thin looking at it up front. You had the impression it was wearing a roman legionnaires' helmet with a long metal fin sticking out on the forehead. Its eyes glowed of blue as it comes to life. Its upper body resembled that of an Astray though slightly thinner, mostly because designers needed to make room for a larger battery pack, this also meant sacrificing space for flying equipment which limits the Mk105 to vernier jumps when on earth.

However, these modifications make the EUMS-Mk105 a highly effective long range attack and support unit. The reduced weight made it so much quicker in movement, conversion and reaction speed, It also consumed the least amount of energy in a set time which helped it attain and hold the record the longest mobile suit engagement w/o charging battery packs, which was 6 days.

Daniel's Headhunter was colored black with yellow marks to help break its general outline.

Next to it were two versions of its predecessor, the Mk104 type 1 Scorpion and Type 2 Firefly. The Mk104, officially named Legionnaire has been the standard mobile suit for the Equatorial Union and UN forces. Designed for all-terrain and amphibious combat, it was ideal for the EU's scattered islands. Its spider and hoverdyne, like the Mk105, make it highly mobile and maneuverable. This system makes the MK104 and MK105 to work anywhere without the need of major modifications to suit the terrain. The upper body was like those of a ginn, except the arms were thinner and had smaller shoulder plating. Its head is similar to the Mk105 except it's wider and does not have the fin. The scorpion has several variations; the standard type 1 scorpion; the type 2 firefly, made for long range artillery support; the type 3 heavy scorpion, basically a heavy armored version of the type 1 and the type 4 Dragonfly, the aerial version.

Daniel upgraded his unit w/ A2 capabilities, which integrated the Wyvern's new LR targeting system and a new technology called mirage colloid. He hasn't seen it in action yet, both the GAT-X013 and X014 had it but neither worked during the first sea trials.

He starts with the targeting systems, "Hey Frank, toss a wrench."

"Here we go..." Frank and Lucian ducked behind a large metal crate, and then Frank lets the wrench fly.

A single 57mm. CIWS round hits it, splitting it into two. The round ricochets to the ceiling.

Daniel smiled, the targeting reticule locked on within two seconds, a second less than the old system.

He continues on by testing the new software and hardware that operate the mobile suit's various systems, eventually all that was left was the mirage colloid.

"Let's see how effective this cloaking device is." Frank looks through a thermal scope, while Lucian wore the motion detection infantry gear.

"Activating mirage colloid," Daniel's cockpit lights dimmed slightly, his mobile suit gradually disappears from plain site. "How is it guys?"

Frank whistled, "You're not showing on thermal."

"Ditto with the MD," Lucian added.

"What about radar?" Daniel keeps his eye on the battery pack gauges.

"Not a thing." Lucian shook his head, "This is incredible."

"How's the energy consumption?" Frank asked.

"Not too bad," He answered. "The one-oh-five can last a day with it on."

"So can we call it a night?" Lucian closes his laptop.

"Might as well," Daniel opens the cockpit. "We'll finish things up in the morning."

"You guys go ahead," Lucian heads to the exit. "I'll just take care of a few things at my bunk."

"Sure Luke, we'll meet you there."

--

**Miyuki quietly leaves her office so's not to disturb her daughter**.

She suddenly felt as though someone was watching her.

A loud bark makes her yelp in fright, the brunette haired woman turns around to find Rhiannon, Daniel's wolf.

She smiles ruefully, bending down to pet him. "You scared me darn you."

He responds by licking her hand and then panting.

"Come on boy," Miyuki stood up. "Let's go find Danny and the others."

She noticed her gold chain was hanging out of her shirt; attached to it was her wedding ring and medal.

A pang of pain bit into her heart, it had been a while since she learned what happened to Darren, her husband and first love, but it still struck her hard. He was gone, killed in Junius Seven during Bloody Valentine.

Darren Kajiura, a young and somewhat naïve politician who dreamed of a world without war. He also dreamed of equality and peace between naturals and coordinators.

A member of the Atlantic Federation's house of congress, Darren constantly pushed for laws that protected coordinators and their rights despite all the protests and threats.

Miyuki held the ring with both hands against her heart, as her sorrow consumed her.

She then felt something brush against her leg, she looks down, it was Rhiannon. He whimpered softly, as though he was trying to comfort her. His amber colored eyes looked into her blues ones.

Miyuki smiles, wiping her tears; she places a hand over his head.

"Thanks boy," She said. "I appreciate it."

She locked her office and leaves as Rhiannon tails her.

Miyuki tucks the chain into her shirt. But before doing so, she looks at the medal; The Sagittarius Crest, the highest military honor of the Zodiac Alliance Freedom Treaty after the Order of Nebula. It was another reminder of her past, one that was more she was ashamed of; A reminder of her final military action as a Zaft officer.

_Darren, forgive me for what I have done._

--

"**Hey Luke," Regina said, seeing him toward where she and Mike came. "Where you going?"**

"Looking for Janus," he replies. "She isn't in her room, "'figured she's still in her MS."

"Regina looks at Michael who shrugs. "Don't look at me, I was busy with mine."

As Lucian walked away, Regina grabs Michael by the arm. "C'mon."

"Hey Llewellyn," Luke yelled as climbed up the stairs. "You in there?"

He looks inside and enters the cockpit, Luke smiles at what he finds.

Llewelyn had fallen asleep, her head slumped to one side, her face calm and serene, and free from all the hassles and pressures they've been put through for the past few months.

He quickly checks her work and saves it, then turns the terminal off.

Luke gently carries her out of the cockpit and slowly walks down the stairs.

Both Regina and Michael grin as they watch Luke head to the living quarters with Janus in his arms.

"Close couple don't you think?" Regina comment as they peered from a corner.

"Not quite," Michael answers "They're working on it though."

He taps her on the shoulder, "Let's leave 'em alone. For now at least,

Regina, somewhat reluctantly nods, "It'd be nice if they make it work though."

"Yeah," Michael smiles

**In Janus' room, Luke gently laid her on her bed. He takes off her combat boots and her heavy fatigue shirt.**

Luke sank onto a chair next to the bed and sighs. He looked at Janus for a while and eventually he stands up.

"Later Wynn."

As he's about to leave, Janus answered. "Thanks Luke."

He looks over his shoulder to find her looking at him.

Her head lay sideward on the pillow, she gave a tired smile. "Sorry I made you carry me."

Luke grinned. "It's alright," the young black South African gives a wink. "It's my pleasure."

She blushed, "G' night Luke."

"'Night LT," Luke switches the light off and leaves.

Janus looks up the ceiling, crossing her arms as she held her shoulders.

_His touch felt nice_.

She smiled as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

--

**"You sure you don't want to come?" Antonio leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.**

He was in the hotel he, Michael and Cagalli were staying. But this wasn't their room; it belonged to another officer in the G-project.

The short black haired woman who rented it shook her head with an apologetic look. "Sorry Anton, I know you were looking forward for this."

Antonio was clearly disappointed; he shrugs and lets out a sigh. "Forget it. It's okay I understand."

She tries to lift his spirits, "How about tomorrow? In lunch, it'll be my treat."

Though still a little glum he manages to smile. "Your treat eh?"

She raised her hand as she would taking an oath. "I promise, cross my heart."

Antonio laughs loudly; he then gives her a slightly evil grin. "I get to pick the place."

She winced, "Just as long it's not expensive."

He chuckled, "It won't, don't worry."

Antonio tilted his head toward her desk, on top of which was her lap top. "I can always help you out with that."

She smiled, "Nice try but no, I'm working with classified information."

Antonio groans and finally decides to leave, "I guess I'll have to go now then.' later Natarle."

"Sorry about this," Natarle Badgiruel gave him a quick peck on his cheek as he puts on his leather bomber jacket.

"Just don't work yourself too hard," Antonio also kisses her on the cheek. "You're a Badgiruel but you're still human."

"I will," She leans against his body. She slips her arms around his waist, Antonio does the same. Her violet eyes looked into his blue eyes.

Then their lips met.

He left without either of them speaking another word.

--**Cagalli peeps through the crack of the door before cautiously sneaks out of her room.**

"And where do you think you're going?"

She cringes as she heard the familiar voice; she turns around to find Antonio leaning against the wall next to the hinges of the door. His arms were crossed as he stared straight at her.

The young Athha could feel a knot forming in her stomach, wondering what she was going to do. Or say.

"I … I just wanted to go out for a walk." She replied, looking away.

"Uh huh, it's pretty late to do that kind of thing, Heliopolis may not be high on crime but it's still a little risky to go out at night."

"Anton!" Cagalli scowled at him, "Stop treating me like a kid!"

"Then stop acting like a kid." His voice was calm but Antonio's face was stern. "One of these days you're going to get yourself into something not even I can bail you out."

Cagalli didn't argue, she was in no position to and because he was right.

He, Michael and Col. Kisaka had helped get away with so many things she had done. Some of which she herself would agree was stupid.

Antonio pushes himself off the wall and walks pass her. He looks over his shoulder, "Why are you doing this anyway?"

"I have to find out if the rumors are true," she replies without hesitation.

"Maybe they're just that, rumors," He thrusts his hands into his pockets.

"Even if they are, I have to make sure."

"Hmph," Antonio smirked. "You're stubborn as usual."

Cagalli turns around, "Why is your team here anyway?"

He shrugs sheepishly, "The wyverns and the Zero project what else? Those things are a joint project with the UN and Neutral nations after all."

Antonio then looks up the ceiling, "Cagalli, talk to this professor in Morgenroete." He hands her a piece of paper.

She reads it then looks at him. "Is he–?"

"Yeah, he is." Antonio begins to walk to the elevator. "I'll tell him about you in the morning, you'll get what you need if you talk to him. So don't go sneaking into the facility. Now go to sleep Cagalli-chan. I'll take care of the rest."

Cagalli watched as the elevator doors closed, a bit confused by Antonio's actions. He was risking his career and a hefty jail term.

He always has been a good friend, "Anton…"

--

**Antonio lights a cigarette as he leaves the hotel. He smiled as thoughts of Cagalli and Natarle ran through his mind.**

He met Cagalli back in the Eurasian-Pacific war, through her father Uzumi Nara Athha just before the war's final major battle in Kaohsiung. Ever since then he was to her sort of a close uncle. He had personally trained her in marksmanship and wilderness survival.

Natarle entered his life just a year ago. They were introduced after she broke up with his young brother. She was incredibly dutiful and loyal even for his standards and she was a bit of a deadbeat in his point of view. She in the other hand didn't quite like his at times laid back approach when it came to protocol and not to mention he was thirty-two, eight years older than she was. But somehow they found something in each other to stay together. Natarle sparked a flame inside him, one he thought was long dead.

The embers of the cigarette gave a pale orange glow as he walked through the dimly lit street.

Both Cagalli and Natarle were in a way Antonio had used to fill in a void in his life. One that been with him for the last eleven years, ever since he lost her and their children.

As he walked through the darkness, he heard shots of a rifle, then the screams of people panicking. Antonio flicks his cigarette at a nearby storm drain and runs toward the source. He pulls out a .44 caliber revolver.

When he reached the place where the havoc was, he hides behind the corner of a building. He inched his head to the corner to see what was happening. The shooter was an Asian male, probably in his teens; he was firing a Eurasian MAR 42 assault rifle on semiautomatic with what looked like a 10 power Albertan scope at a small café in the middle of the block from a building across the street. There were two teenage girls down on the ground, Antonio couldn't tell whether they were dead or just fugazi. People were running everywhere to out of the line of fire.

Antonio stands out on the corner and lines up the sights, without hesitation, he pulls the trigger.

The gun's discharge was echoes loudly through the street. The shooter screams in agony taking the bullet in his shoulder, his rifle fell onto the street below.

Antonio hears screeching tires, he turns around to see a black car careering down the street. Knowing what was coming, he dives behind a parked car as they drove by and shot at him. He laid flat on the ground, covering his head.

Through all the gunfire and shattering glass he could just make out the words they were shouting, "For the preservation of our pure and blue world!"

Antonio gritted his teeth,

_Blue Cosmos!_

His left eye changes, the iris' blue color turns into blood red, the pupil turns into a thin slit like that of a snake.

He pushes himself up onto a crouch position and the aims at the car, "Preserve this!"

One shot ricochet hits the rear left tire, the other ricochets off a wall and blows out the front right tire, making it spin out.

At the same time, an army jeep pulls up in front of it, it was ridden by Michael, Regina and Luke. Michael and Regina had their 9mm. SIG Sauer sidearms drawn, while Luke held a 9mm. H&K MP5/12 submachine gun.

Two of the teens aim their guns at them but were quickly incapacitated when Michael throws a knife at his hand, at the same time Regina shoots the other on the leg.

Luke quickly runs behind the other two, "Drop 'em!"

Both surrendered quickly.

On top of another roof top, another sniper takes aim at Michael. He was about to pull the trigger, "I got you-"

A shot rang out.

Michael ducks down and yells, "Who was that?"

"That was Daniel," Frank replied he ran toward them, pointing to the building. "There was another sniper over there,"

Another car screeches through the street, carrying another carload of shooters.

"Christ," Antonio shoots the tires out of that one too. Two teens got out and hid behind the car and started to shoot at them.

Michael scowled, "They're coming out of the woodwork!"

"Look out!" Frank shoots at one who was about to throw a grenade, the teen falls.

"Everybody get down!" Antonio screamed as he dove back behind the car he used for cover. Mike and Regina manage to pull down the young men closest to them. Luke jumps on the other two, knocking them both down.

The blast that followed shook the whole block. As the dust settled, woman screamed when she realized a part of a palm and two fingers landed next to her. Moans of pain could be heard from the wreckage of the second car.

After a few minutes, EMT's and colony police arrived. One of the two girls was paralyzed from a bullet that struck her spinal column. The other had a severed artery and punctured lung. Both were in critical condition but they'll survive.

From what the police gathered, the café was attacked because a young coordinator worked there.

_A typical racist attack_, Antonio shook his head. _All this for one coordinator_…

"Hey boss," Luke called out.

Antonio turned to him, "Hmm?"

"I did a little checking on our bangers, turns out they're related to some Blue Cosmos goon in the Orb administrative."

Mike raised an eyebrow, "Well that's stupid. You mean tell me the left a paper trail linking them to these wannabe gangsters?"

"They probably thought their boys in the PD would let them go," Regina commented.

"Good job Luke," Antonio lit another cigarette. "Forward that to the Interpol office in Orb."

"You got it boss."

"There's not anything we can do about this anymore," Antonio then walks away. "See you guys later."

"Hey Ant," Michael called out. "I thought you're heading downtown too?"

"I need to do something first, later."

Michael shrugged, "If you say so, 'later then."

--

"**You're late," Murrue looked at Antonio disapprovingly.**

"Sorry, something came up."

"Pfft," She pouted. "That's what you all say, men."

Antonio rolled his eyes.

Murrue at looks at what he was wearing, "What?" She looked slightly disappointed, "Where's that nice suit of yours sir?"

Antonio wore a blue shirt, a pair of old jeans and his leather bomber jacket.

He gives her a raised eyebrow and a rueful grin. "Ha, ha, Very funny."

"And stop the formalities," He continued. "Right now, I'm just Antonio."

She nods, "And I'm just Murrue."

They walked together, getting past the gate to the main road. Antonio hailed a cab and they both got in.

"Lieute- I mean Antonio," Murrue began as the cab went to their destination. "Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, what?"

"How did you know the Admiral's code?"

Antonio shifts his eyes toward the outside, "I served under him for a while, back when I was in the Atlantic Federation Army."

"I see," Murrue decide to dig a little into his past. "How long was that?"

He shrugs sheepishly, "Four years, He took me in when I was 22 because I was the top cadet of the year and nominated by several people to West point."

"West point… It must have been tough to get the nomination as a foreigner."

He shook his head, "Not exactly. My dad had friends in the Senate and I was already a NCO with four years in the field."

"Oh," Murrue chuckled. "I forgot I was talking to a Le Saint Claire."

"Well, being one has its perks," He grins. "I learned a lot when I was with him. Even though I was just a pilot, he took me under his wing."

"What about you Murrue?" He asked, "How did you end up with Halberton?"

"He took in as soon as I graduated from Annapolis."

Antonio whistles, "You must've stood out pretty well."

"Well kind of…" Murrue blushed, looking down at the floor. "I was kind of the instructors' pet back then."

"I was probably my grades," She quickly added, talking to him, a war hero, made her feel like an idiot.

Antonio Le Saint Claire, the Spartan of waves, one of the Spartan Immortals, the four leaders of the Spartan Guard. It was a Special Forces unit that fought in Eurasian-Pacific war in late 68CE.

A war that involved the Eurasian Federation and the Far East Asian Republic against the Equatorial Union, the kingdom of Scandinavia, Oceanic Union and partially the United Emirates of Orb with the Atlantic Federation and Zaft supporting them with military aid, volunteer troops and advisors. It all started with a territorial dispute between The EU and Far East Asia, after some brief skirmishes, the other countries got involved.

Antonio was known in the war for a series of successful raids of coastal bases and the invasion of Kaohsiung which forced the Eurasians and the East Asians to call for peace talks with terms that gave the island of Hainan Dao and the region of Afghanistan to the Equatorials and huge reparation payments to the EU and its allies.

Antonio was also known for his excellent strategic and tactical use of mobilesuit units in a time when they were still in their trial phase in ZAFT, EU, Orb and Scandinavia as military units.

His family was also well known, the Le Saint Claire's were an influential military family in the EU.

"How did you join the Naval Academy?" Antonio asked.

"Nomination."

"By who?"

Murrue didn't answer.

"C'mon Murrue," Antonio said. "Don't be shy, if you want to know, I was nominated by 'Wild Bill' Graham."

"Murrue blinked with surprise, "The pacifist senator 'Wild Bill' Graham?"

"Yeah," Antonio chuckled. "Weird eh? Now c'mon, who recommended you? I was someone pretty high wasn't it?"

"You can say that…" Murrue was clearly embarrassed. "It was…"

"What!" It was Antonio's turn to be surprised. "The President?" he exclaims.

"My father was an old college buddy of his," She explained. "He owned him a favor."

Antonio simply looked at her, "That must've been one heckuva favor."

--

"**How the mighty have fallen!" Michael raised his glass as Murrue and Antonio approached the cluster of tables he, Yuki and the rest of the team occupied.**

"Three cheers for Lieutenant Murrue Ramius!" Regina raised her glass as well as did everyone else, all laughed and cheered.

Antonio rolls his eyes, Murrue places a hand over her lips to suppress a giggle.

"Nice friends," she commented.

"Yeah," he grins, shaking his head.

Murrue wasn't surprised to find Miyuki in the group. "Ara Miyuki-chan," grinned. "The guards must really be slacking off."

Miyuki smirked, "I suppose." She wasn't wearing her glasses and she wore a rather suggestive black dress. Unless you knew her, you'd never suspect her as the woman in charge of the assembly the UN occupied.

Murrue quickly became acquainted with everybody. It was a bit intimidating at first, the members of Antonio's team were just as well-known as he was.

Michael Takahashi of Orb, the Spartan of Hell, another Spartan Immortal. He was known for his campaign in the Afghan region of Eurasia.

Regina Alexis Dante of Eurasia, the Winged Fury, a pilot who was said to be undefeated in air and space flight combat during Eurasia-Pacific war.

Daniel Spear of the Atlantic Federation, the Stone Sentinel, An elite army sniper with more than 200 confirmed kills and counting.

Franklin Snow of Oceania, the Onager, a former marine combat engineer who's good at explosives and is a devastating master artilleryman.

Lucian Helmsley Lawman of South Africa, the Puppet Master, a master hacker and technician who once single handedly crashed the Atlantic Federation's stock market for a South African Union extremist group 4 years ago.

And here she was, having a drink with them, war heroes with distinguished and dangerous reputations. And yet they were so normal, if you didn't know who they were, you would probably pass them in the crowd without a second thought.

"Hey Ramius," Frank filled a glass with a clear liquid. "Try this."

Murrue took a good gulp, squinted then smiled. "Wow," She shook her head as she exhaled loudly. "What was that?"

He grinned, "Russian Vodka."

Antonio too grins, "Too much for ya?"

She grins back, "Not too bad."

Antonio chuckles, "That's the spirit."

_This was going to be an interesting night after all_, Antonio thought. _Even if Natarle's not here._

--

**Outside the colony, a few kilometers away, **

The Nazca-class 'Ursa Major' and two Laurasia-class ships 'Armstrong' and 'Gagarin' waits for the Nazca class, 'Vesalius' and the Laurasia-class, 'Gamow.'

The captain of Ursa Major was Douglas Marshall, a highly decorated veteran of the Eurasian-Pacific war, a man who once called Junius Seven home. He had no hate for the Naturals in general, his parents after all were Naturals.

His anger was directed at the Earth Alliance military. He would follow the Radical faction to a degree. Attacking every military target without hesitation.

But then again, Heliopolis wasn't a military target.

He wasn't happy when he found out that his ship was ordered to take part in the operation. But what really set him off was that the one who gave the order was Rau Le Creuset. He never really trusted him, there was something about him he didn't like. During the previous war, he learned to trust him instincts.

And from his experience they were rarely wrong.

Inside the Ursa Major's hangar, Visch Donahue, also known as the "_Thunderclap of the Wilderness"_ or the "Wild Thunder" sat inside his customized Cgue. It was painted black on the upper torso, the upper arms and legs, and the hands and feet, the rest of the body was colored red. His personal coat of arms, a skull with an eye patch on the right eye -the same eye he lost during the Eurasia-Pacific war- and two bolts of lightning was painted on the right shoulder.

Visch reviewed the orders given by Le Creuset earlier.

"So… the Alliance's been making some of their suits eh?" He smiled to himself, "This just might be interesting."

--  
**Several kilometers from the Zaft taskforce and Heliopolis, **

The UN carrier fleet assigned to transport the G-Zero mobilesuits slowly but steadily advances towards their destination. Inside the flagship, Agamemnon class 'Agares', Mstr. Sgt. Jethro Lance Mills, the oldest member of Taskforce Bravo, did not like the events unfolding.

"Sgt. Mills," Capt. Anya Samsonov inquired. "Do you think they're after the Zero units?"

Jethro's blue eyes turned to the direction of the captain, "Right now I can't say for sure skipper, but there's an alternative."

He taps the several keys on the terminal he occupied, a diagram appears on the overhead screen.

"I guess you're aware of the –ahem– secret deal between the OMNI boys and Morgenroete," The 58 year old former CIA agent asked.

The brunette haired captain's brown eyes narrowed as she nods. "The firm agreed to create five GAT-X mobilesuits and a new type of carrier for the Alliance."

"Well," Jethro shows her pictures of the five G-units and the new ship called the 'Archangel.' "They've just been completed four days ago."

"Do you think that's what they're after?"

"It's most likely," He answered. "The project wasn't as secure as ours or the Astray project. In any case, we better hurry."

The 28 year old captain nods, "I know, but we keep our presence unknown."

He nods back, at the rate they were going, they should make it with in eight hours. But they only have six mobile suits and twenty-four mobile armors. Two Nazca-classes were detected meaning there was at least twelve hostile mobilesuits. They needed surprise on their side.

They may have the edge with ship numbers and ship weapons' strength; the Agares carrier group was made eight ships; the Agamemnon-class, Agares; Nelson classes, Tiberius, Caligula and Hadrian and Drake-classes, Basilisk, Avenger, Butte and Suc-Bangblow. Most were fitted with linear catapults and the weapons fitted in these ships were much powerful than their Earth Alliance counterparts or what Zaft fits on its ships. But then again mobilesuits were excellent ship killers.

Though he was a risk taker, Jethro understood that a low profile was the best option right now. He just hopes Antonio, the Bravo team and UN-Heliopolis defense force can hold out.

--

**A/N:** From here on in, I'll start following Seed's story line. Flames and normal Reviews are welcome, please review, and tell me what you think of this story. And if it's something like someone else's stuff, I had no Idea when I did that and sorry. Anyhow, please read and review letting me know what you guys think of my first strike here on G. Seed.

--

**Glossary:**

**Fugazi **– Fucked up/ screwed up

**Mustang officer** – An officer promoted from the ranks of enlisted men.


	2. Phase2: Awakening

GS phase 2

**A/N:** Well it's time for the opening phase of the Seed series. Remember some sections are from the manga version of the series.

**Phase 02: Awakening**

--

**The day was January 25, 71ce.**

It started out in Heliopolis like any other day, everybody had to get up, have breakfast, groom themselves and go to work or school.

That was also the case in the assembly wing, today the GAT-X Zero mobile suits were going to be transferred to a testing facility at another part of the colony before they'll transfer them to Earth.

Antonio had spent the morning rewriting the OS, despite his slight hangover. He had listened to the morning news that morning, he smiled when he found out that Kaohsiung had once again fallen. He looked it up in the internet and found that the Zaft forces had utilized the same plan he used to capture the base two years ago.

He shook his head. _When will they ever learn?_

The East Asians apparently didn't change the layout of their defenses too much since they had reclaimed ownership of the base.

"Hey Sarge," Janus Llewellyn Aelia or Wynn calls out from the foot of the MS, "They're gonna load the oh-one-three first in twenty minutes."

"Right!" He answered back, "Get her ready then."

"You finished with OS?"

"Not quite, this thing doesn't quite cooperate with the OS I'm using."

Wynn climbed the stairs, "You want me to take a look at it?"

"Sure, I'd appreciate it Wynn."

She enters the cockpit as Antonio gets out. As she took the seat, Wynn went to work.

"This OS doesn't quite maximize this suit's capabilities."

"What did I do wrong?" He bends over to see the screen.

"You're way too used to the scorpion setup sir," She shows him a series of commands. "The suit is capable of handling twice the weight ratios you assigned."

Antonio raised an eyebrow, "So you're telling me this big boy can carry one of the two-fifty high power gunlaunchers with one hand?"

"It's possible that it can carry one of the four-fifties with one hand."

He nods, "Okay. Change it to several notches above what you think is the optimum limit."

After doing so, she goes on to edit the rest of the OS. Wynn then comes across something that confused her.

"Sir, why are you reserving so much energy to the support systems?"

"For the mirage colloid, phase shift armor and Rommel panzer."

"This is excessive sir, it's more than twice what's reserve for the weapons and detection systems."

He simply shook his head, "No it's just fine, leave it as it is."

She looks at him confused, "Sir?"

"It's my way of saving energy," Antonio explained. "The energy assigned to weapons is my average consumption rate. Since support isn't directly connected to the weapons, I conserve energy better. When you need a little more you can just convert it from the support system reserve, which by the way is much faster than converting it from the main output unit."

She blinked and took a closer look. With what her commander mentioned in her mind, the more she examined, the more it made sense. The concept worked.

"Wow," She was amazed. "I never heard of this before."

"It's something I've been working on back when I was in the Spartans." He replies, "It works with mobile suits with a separate support power system, it can work with the Wyverns."

She nods, "How do I calculate for average energy consumption rate?"

"Talk to Luke about that," He answered. "He stores that type of data in that new OS he's working on."

Antonio feels his cell phone vibrating and exits the cockpit, "Le Saint Claire… Yes? … Okay, I'll be there."

He placed the phone back to its place, "Looks like I'm needed. Can you finish up for me?"

Wynn shrugs, "Not a prob, sir"

"Thanks," He waves at her as he descends the stairs. "And set the control sensitivity to about seven."

"Sure."

She examined the energy command setup again, her commanding officer never ceases to impress her. He was knowledgeable in almost every aspect of a mobile suit, mechanically and technically.

That was something she rarely saw even among some of her fellow Zaft pilots back when she was in the Zaft military. A lot of times she would see them copy an OS straight from a manual or from memory without adjusting it properly.

Wynn never had any biases against naturals, but she was very surprised to find some of them could match and even sometimes surpass most coordinators. Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire was one of them.

She learned a lot from him and other teammates ever since she joined the unit a year ago. Wynn was the only coordinator on the special taskforce, but she learned to trust her teammates with her life. They're naturals, but they're now also her friends.

She eventually finishes the work and begins deactivating the MS systems, as she goes down the stairs, Wynn pats on the side of the X013.

"Hope you're ready big guy, 'cause your pilot sure is."

--

**Miyuki closes her cell phone as she walks into her office**.

Just as she entered, her cell phone's ringtone goes off.

"What now?" She mumbled, "Yes?"

"Kajiura-sensei, it's me Kira."

"Oh hello Kira, what can I do for you?" Kira Yamato was one of her students the year before.

"Is the professor there? He wants me to do some work for him again."

"Oh? Well, I'm not sure. I just got into my office, I haven't seen him the whole morning though."

She heard him sigh on the phone, "I see, I just wanted to make sure he was there 'cause I'm getting real tired of this. I wish he'd just leave me alone."

Miyuki smiled, professor Kato had been asking Kira to do a lot of work for him lately. She too wasn't sure what the professor is doing. All she's getting is vague details.

"Sorry," Kira said. "I shouldn't be complaining to you about this."

She laughed a bit, "Its okay Kira. It's nice to let it all go once in a while."

"Yeah I guess, thanks sensei, bye."

"Hope I'll hear from you again, bye"

--

"**Hey guys," Regina enters the hangar where Daniel, Frank and Luke are working.** "Have you seen Mike?"

The guys spent the morning reattaching the Headhunter's armor plating and heat-shields. They all look among each other and shake their heads.

"We haven't seen him all morning," Luke replies.

Regina sighs with exasperation. "Where the hell is that guy?" She grumbles as she stalked out of the hangar.

The three men again amongst each other, they shrug and resume their work.

--

**Michael rubbed his temples as he staggers out of the hotel.**

"Thank God for RU21," he muttered.

He had a massive hangover from last night, he took some pills and coffee to counter it. His head still hurt but at least not as much.

After buying bag full of pastries from a bakery, he then hails a cab and heads to Morgenroete's facility

**Michael exits the cab in front of the Morgenroete,**

He was just in time to see Kira Yamato, Tolle Koenig and Miriallia Haww walking along the sidewalk towards him.

"Hey guys," He calls out as he walks toward them. "What's shaking?"

"Hi Mike," Miriallia notice the paper bag. "What you got there?"

He opens the bag, "Blue berry croissants." He winks at her, "Want one?"

"Sure. Thanks Mike."

"Can I uh…" Tolle inches his hand to the bag. "Have one too?"

Michael smirked, "Nice to see you too Tolle."

"Hey Mike," Kira held up a hand for a high five, Mike obliges.

"Hey kiddo," He hands him a pastry. "What are guys doing here anyway?"

"The professor wanted Kira to do some stuff for him," Tolle replied with parts of the croissant still in his mouth.

"I just wish the professor's more specific," Kira muttered.

Mike's glasses glinted as he raised an eyebrow, "So the quack's still using child labor to do the dirty work eh?"

Kira smirks, "You could say that."

They both laughed. Michael then led the way to the facility, "C'mon, maybe I can help you with whatever that so called professor with a degree in Fahrenheit and Celsius is up to."

Kira, Tolle and Mir couldn't help but laugh.

**The four of them entered the professor's usual workplace, there they find Sai Argyle and Kuzzey Buskirk.**

Sai sees them first, "Well, I see you finally gave in."

"Hi Kira," Kuzzey greeted them. "Hey Tolle, Mir. Hi Mike. But I thought Kira was the only one the professor called for?"

Tolle looked at him, "Is it wrong for us to be here?"

Kuzzey held up his hands defensively, "That's not how I meant it Tolle."

Sai walks toward Kira, "The professor's counting on you Kira, here." He hands him a small memory chip.

"Right…" Kira then notices another person in the room, who kept silent the whole time.

"Who's that?" Kira asked in a low voice

"A guest of the professor," Sai answered. "He was asked to wait here."

Michael eyed Cagalli, who tried not to make eye contact with him. He smiled when Sai mentioned her as a boy.

_Well at least we know her disguise works._

"There you are," An angry voice shouted behind him.

"Huh?" He turns around to find Regina glaring at him.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, "I've been looking for you all over."

He wasn't completely sure why she was angry, she knows he was drunk last night. "Uh… I just got here from the hotel."

She winced, "You… agh! Never mind c'mon sir," Regina pulls his arm. Michael shrugged at Kira, "Looks like I can't help you right now… sorry kid."

"It's okay." The brown-haired teen looked at them curiously.

"Oh yeah, Sai, Kuzzey catch," Michael tossed two croissants at them.

"Thanks Mike," Kuzzey said.

"Not quite my type of pastry," Sai comment. "But thanks anyway."

"Well, see you guys." Michael held up two fingers in a peace sign as he was finally pulled out of sight.

"Man…Talk about a demanding girlfriend," Tolle commented.

"Tolle!" Miriallia slaps him on the back of the head.

Cagalli couldn't help but smirk.

"**The Lt. Colonel wanted to see you ASAP," Regina explained as they walked down the corridor.**

"The transfer schedule is getting tight, pressure got me. Sorry for yelling at you, sir."

Michael shrugs it off, he hands her a pastry. "Want one?"

She grunts, takes one and takes big bite at it.

"I'm sorry I made you angry," Michael said.

"I'm not angry," she responded, looking away at him. "Just stressed out."

He shrugs, "What ever you say lieutenant."

--

"**Sir," the Ursa Major's communications officer called out.**

"The main entry team is in position, Vesalius is ordering us to commence our attack."

Marshall's frown grew as heard this, he took a moment of silence. He then issues the order, "Launch the support team!"

In the launch bay, 4 Ginns and the red Cgue prepare for launch on the linear catapult.

"Okay boys," Visch Donahue yelled. "Time to roll out! Watch your fire, this is a civilian settlement! Shoot only when necessary! You get me?"

The four Ginn pilots responded, "Sir, we get you sir!"

--

**In the back room of Miyuki's office, Elle slept peacefully on the rug, holding her bear.**

Her head rested on Rhiannon's side, who also lay on the rug asleep. Both were unaware of what was happening in the office.

Antonio and Michael examine the score of photographs of the five EA prototype suits and the 'Archangel'

"So the Archangel can go into a sortie unsupported eh?" Michael observed.

Miyuki nods, "Yes it can. She serves as both a battleship and a carrier. It can carry about up to twelve mobile units, it's armed with a powerful experimental anti-matter beam weapon called the Lohengrin, Gottfried dual high-energy beam canons, Valiant linear canons, Wombat, Corinthos, Sledgehammer and Helldart missiles, anti-beam depth charges and of course Igelstellungs. It's also capable of atmospheric flight"

Antonio looks at a picture of the GAT-X102 Duel, "Their mobile suits are a bit simplified compared to ours."

"Naturals are supposed to use these things man," Michael reminds him. "Lesser trained naturals," He added with grin.

Antonio chuckled, "You got that right."

One thing UNAAF, Equatorial, Scandinavian and a small number of Orb natural pilots were proud of, was the fact they were trained and capable of using a coordinator OS to a degree.

Miyuki shook her head, "Don't be so proud of yourselves. You guys were no different five years ago."

"Right," Antonio decides to go back to the subject. "I have to admit though, the Duel is a good simple design for mass production. It's got the same capabilities as a Ginn except maybe it's more powerful."

"The Blitz isn't so bad," Michael commented. "Its weapon setup is very good tandem with the mirage colloid."

"The Buster's pretty good," Miyuki said. "Its weapon concept is very sound and cost efficient."

"It's almost as if it's made for Frank," Antonio commented.

She nods with a smile. "What I don't like about it is it doesn't have any close range weapons. But then again, I guess they needed to sacrifice those for the heavy weaponry."

"The Aegis would make a good commander's unit," Michael held a picture of the said mobile suit. "It's pretty speedy compared to the other units and it's got that Scylla."

"What really catches my eye is the X-one-oh-five," Antonio said. "It's three combat variations make it a pretty darn good MS. It can deal with a combat situation well by switching to the appropriate variation."

"Only the best pilot should use that thing," Michael shook his head. "I'd sure hate to go up against one of those."

"Yuki," Antonio turned to his cousin. "How good are the pilots?"

She rolls her eyes, "Based from the reports I'm reading, it'd be a miracle if they even moved them."

Antonio showed a dimple, "That bad huh?"

"Pretty much," Miyuki replied. "They're supposed to be the best mobile armor pilots around."

"Well," Antonio shrugs. "Just because you're good at one thing doesn't mean you're good with another."

"We learned that the hard way," Michael added

"How true," Antonio arranges the photos into a stack. "Well, we have to go back to work."

As Miyuki collects the photos, she sees one of the X105 Strike with the launcher pack, making her remember something. "Ton-ton, I almost forgot to tell something."

Antonio turns around, "What is it?"

"It's about the Oh-one-three, a part of the frame was a prototype of the X105's frame. It also has hardp-"

A loud explosion and the violent shock that followed interrupted her.

"What the hell," Michael yells. "Why do I have a feeling that's Zaft?"

"Probably is," Miyuki grits her teeth. "With all their deep penetration agents here, I'm surprised they took this long to act." She pulls her desk drawer, revealing a 9mm. M9 Beretta. She feels the bottom of the desk and pulls out 3 clips.

"What you got Mike?" Antonio draws out his .45 revolver and checks the chamber.

"SIG Sauer," He replies. A clip and eight knives… And you?"

"This," he holds up his revolver, "a 9mm. USP, two clips, two speed loaders and my K-bar."

"Elle honey, we have to go." Miyuki heads to the backroom.

"Mike," she calls out. "Take the hard drive out of the terminal."

"Right!"

Antonio pulls his duffel back from under one of the couches.

"Good thing I decided to leave my gear here. He pulls out a 12 gauge SPAS-15 shotgun "I'm going to find Cagalli."

He places the bag strap on his shoulder.

"I saw her in the prof's place," Michael calls out.

"Right," Antonio runs out of the office.

--

"**Looks like we'll be field testing sooner than we thought," **

Daniel comments as he activates his Headhunter's OS.

"Looks that way," Lucian commented as he climbs into his MK104 Legionnaire type 1 Scorpion.

"Let's see how good these targeting systems really are," Frank enters his Type 2 Firefly.

Like Daniel's headhunter, these suits were upgraded with A2 capabilities.

Frank's firefly walked toward the closed hangar doors and an aim its two shoulder-mounted 155 mm. M4 linear guns and blasts a hole through it. He then places his main weapon aside and pulls out his melee weapon, a M7 "Heathawk thermal axe," to widen the hole.

"Okay," Daniel said as Frank finishes. "Let's go."

--

"**Corporal, get your men and all the technicians through the front." **

Regina barks, "Someone get those damn hangar doors open!"

"Captain! Sitrep!" Michael and Miyuki ran into the wing, Miyuki held Elle who was still asleep. Rhiannon stood alert behind them.

"It's all SNAFU out there sir," She points toward the large hangar door. "There are eight to ten Ginns out there, they're also GINNs fighting in different parts of the colony plus those outside fighting with EA forces."

"Sir!" The corporal Regina given orders a minute ago ran toward them, "Sir we have a problem! The security mainframe jammed the controls of the door, we can't override it!"

"What!" Regina yells, "Sonova- Wynn! We're gonna have to blast through the door!"

Wynn, who was in her Wyvern, scowls. "Are you kidding? That thing's made of a special reinforced alloy and it's thick, we'd be lucky if we can even make a dent on it!"

"Wonderful," Regina gritted her teeth.

Miyuki hands Elle to Michael, "I'll try my luck in overriding the system. Mike, take care of Elle for me."

"What!" Michael scowled, "Why me?" He yells as she runs toward the smaller door with Rhiannon behind her.

"You're a Spartan Immortal, that's why!" She answered, "You're the safest person I can trust her with in battlefield."

Michael sighs, "Right." He muttered under his breath.

"Okay!" Michael yelled, taking charge of the situation, "Get all the non-combatants out of the way, get ready to move out as soon as that door opens!"

He ran up the stairs to the X-014's cockpit. "I really need your help right now buddy, so please just cooperate with me."

The MS' cockpit closes and the monitor turns on.

**MOBILE SUIT OPERATION SYSTEM**

**/Version EUMOS 2.3 – Rev. 1067/**  
**G**eneral  
**U**nilateral  
**N**euro - Link  
**D**ispersive  
**A**utonomic  
**M**aneuver  
**G.U.N.D.A.M Synthesis System**

**U. N. Autonomous Armed Forces  
**

**Project Zero GAT-X014**

**SIGINARUGAN**

"General…" Elle read, "Uncle Mike, are you a general?"

Michael smirks, "No, just a major. Hopefully I'll make it there before I turn 40."

The Siginarugan's phase shift armor activates, turning it largely black, except for parts of the arms and legs, under the shoulder guard, the faceplate and a section of the torso, which were all generally white.

Its green eyes glowed ominously as it backed away from the maintenance platform.

"Activating RHEA system," Michael opens the safety cap of one of the buttons and presses it.

A pair of large black wings, like those of a bird's, spread from the Gundam's back. It then folds forward encasing the Siginarugan's upper body and upper legs.

Michael grins, "Alright. Now let's see what we can use."

He finds that all the weapons and support systems are online, which made his grin wider.

"Major!" Janus' Wyvern appears on Michael's left screen. "Are you ready?"

"Bring 'em on," was his reply.

--

**Antonio had been on his way to where Michael saw Cagalli when he heard gunfire.**

It came from where the G-units were supposed to be stored. He was about to slip his passkey when he notices that it was already overridden.

_Lt. Ramius _He thought, _she's in charge of the transfer of those mobile suits wasn't she?_

He slips into the room, getting to the closest cover he could find_. Natarle's in the same unit she's in, I wonder if she's alright…_

Antonio again hears gunshots, this time louder. It came from where he saw two G-units lying on their backs on transport rigs.

He spots Lt. Ramius, as he walks closer, he hears someone yell, "Behind You!"

She reacts and instinctively fires her gun, a Zaft soldier falls.

Antonio sees the one who called out. It was a young boy, probably in his teens, hiding under the rig of what looked like the GAT-X105 Strike.

He also sees another Zaft soldier taking aim at Ramius who just realized who saved her. As soon he saw him, Antonio's reflexes took over. He levels his shotgun and fires.

The buckshot flew 20 meters across the vast hangar then struck the soldier in several places. But he didn't go down, he backs toward the side of the rig shielding him from Murrue and Antonio. Antonio runs half-crouched, while switching from buckshot to slugs. He could hear the Zaft soldier trying to get help by radio. He checks the direction where Murrue was and finds her on the side of the Strike's rig opposite to where the soldier was. She makes eye contact with him, he gestures to his shotgun's breach and points at her.

She pulls out her gun's clip then places it back, she shows four fingers.

He nods, he then turns to the direction of the soldier and fires, just barely missing the soldier's head by an inch. Antonio quickly tosses his USP and a clip at Murrue as she cover fires for him while he ducks down.

Murrue changes the now empty clip with what Antonio given her. Antonio takes aim and fire a shot to draw the soldier's attention, the soldier returns fire. As he did so, Murrue lets him have it, firing both handguns. The soldier falls.

Antonio ran toward the lieutenant and her young companion.

"What the hell you're doing here lieutenant," Antonio demanded. "You should have evacuated this place!"

"I can't sir," she replies. "I have to save these suits! We already lost three to the enemy!"

Antonio tilts his head toward the teen beside her, "He a pilot?"

She shook her head, "I just met him. How about you sir, what're you doing here?"

"I was looking for a young girl, she's got short hair, kind of tomboyish…"

"I put in one of the shelters," The young teen replies. "I think she'll be fine."

Antonio sighs, _she's in a shelter… thank God. _"I guess that's taken care of that, we better get the hell out of here then."

"No, I have to get these suits out of here!" Murrue insists.

"How the hell are you going to manage that without a pilot?"

"I'll pilot one," She answers.

Antonio looks at her with disbelief, "You don't have any training what so ever and you're going to try piloting one of these things?"

"Do expect me to just sit here and let Zaft take the all G-units?" She answered with a familiar tone of defiance in her voice.

He sighs with a pained look in his face, "Fine. I'll cover you, As soon as you get it started and get out of here. I'll try and follow you with Aegis."

Murrue looks at him with astonishment, "How did you-?"

"Like you said last night," Antonio gave her grin. "Security's really slacking off lately."

Before Murrue could say anything else, he ran out into the open.

Antonio sees five more soldiers entering the room.

_Sorry boys, play time is over._

The iris of his left eye turns blood red and the pupil turns into a thin slit. He rushes toward three soldiers, dodging and weaving through the hail of lead they threw at him. When was about ten feet away, he pulls out his k-bar.

"What's he trying to-!" The soldier never finishes his sentence as Antonio shoves the barrel of the SPAS-15 against his helmet and pulls the trigger. As he did so, he throws the k-bar at another soldier, striking his throat. Before the third soldier could retaliate, Antonio lets go of his shotgun, pulls out his .45 revolver and pulls the trigger. As they fell, the shotgun clatters on the floor.

Antonio spots something in corner of his morphed eye, with one hand he fires the revolver. The bullets ricochet against the wall and hit a fourth soldier in the back as he tried to shoot Antonio from behind some crates.

He probably never knew what hit him.

"Sorry," Antonio said coldly. "Not today," He twirls the revolver then puts it in its holster as he picks up his knife and shotgun.

--

**Visch "Wild Thunder" Donahue led the Ginns under his command in his red Cgue.**

He was a veteran pilot, having fought a hefty number of battles during the Eurasian-Pacific war, he was known for his speed and unpredictability in maneuvering.

"Hey Doug," Visch makes contact with the Ursa Major. "Any dirt on what we'll be dealing with?" An image of the Marshall appears on screen.

"Some," He replies. "There are several Moebius mobile armor units outside the colony. Inside apparently one the Earth forces mobile suits is being piloted by the enemy. And according to incoming reports, there are UN forces in the colony with Scandinavian and Equatorial Union mobile suits."

Visch frowned, "Damn it. What's Le Creuset's policy on them?"

"My policy is we'll deal with them like any other adversary," Le Creuset's image replaces that of the Marshall's. "They may be allies once but if they choose to become our enemy we must destroy them."

Visch glares at him through his helmet's visor, "I appreciate the advice Rau, but don't eavesdrop on me again."

"No need to be angry commander, I just didn't want your sentimentality to get in the way of your mission."

Visch didn't answer and simply nods, doing his best keeping his temper under control.

"Don't let him get to you, Visch" Douglas reappeared on screen.

"Tell me something," Visch sighs. "How the hell did he manage to get promoted over us anyway?"

"I'd like to know that one myself," Marshall replied.

"Well, we better break contact now. Donahue out."

Visch breaks away from the formation, "Hayes! Takeover, get inside and provide a distraction for the entry team. I'll help clear things out here."

"Yes sir!" The Ginns maintain their course whilst Visch went toward the Nelson class that just exited the colony, it began to launch mobile armors. Three of which went straight at Visch.

He smirks, "Your numbers don't mean thing…" His Cgue strafes past the three Moebius' fire, with a MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machinegun in each hand, he shoots and destroys each one as they pass by. "…when you're dealing with me!"

A barrage beam and solid fire just barely missed his, "Whoa! Almost got me there..."

He sets his machineguns aside and pulls out swords, a katana which he named "Dusk" and a wakizashi called "Dawn." The blades of both were decorated with a jagged line that resembled a lightning bolt. The sword guards were made of fine beautifully crafted steel, like that of the blades. The handles were wrapped in a matching white fabric, wrapped in red cord capped on the hilt with what looked like gold.

He charges the source of the attack, the Nelson-class. As he drew closer, all the ship's guns were firing at him. Visch dodges and weaves past literally a wall of ordinance thrown at him.

He goes to the belly of the ship, "Too easy." Visch's Cgue spins rapidly as the two swords strike the ship repeatedly from bow to stern. In his second pass, which was virtually unopposed, he strikes the ship along the starboard side, stern to bow. As he flew away, Visch sheathes his swords, then turns around and fires both machineguns at the badly crippled battleship until a series of explosions occurred with in it.

"No!" Mu La Flaga watches as his ship was torn apart.

"It's all up to you now, Hawk of Endymion." The captain manages to say before the ship was finally destroyed.

"Captain…"

Mu then spots the red Cgue coming straight at him.

"Now it's your turn!" Mu heard Visch's voice in the radio.

Mu gritted his teeth, "Bring it on!" He releases his gun-barrels.

Visch makes the first move, charging at the Mu with guns blazing. Mu dodges the shots, firing his linear gun and maneuvers two gun barrels behind the Cgue and fires.

Visch gets hit, "Argh! Wired gunbarrels… It must be him!"

He reacts at this by firing the missiles from his left Pardus missile launcher to block the second blast and fires one machine gun and severs the wire of one of the gunbarrels and damages the other.

Mu clicked his tongue, "Damn…"

"Mu La Flaga I presume?" Visch said via radio.

"Yeah…" Mu replied as they continued to fight. "How can you tell?"

"No one ever snuck gunbarrels on me like that before."

"From that red Cgue of yours, you're probably one of the Swords."

"I surprised you heard of us."

"How can I not?" Mu spat, "You're unit is the one that destroyed that caused Ides of March!"

Visch's smile disappeared, "It was tragic mistake. You of all people know that happens in war."

"Mistake my ass!" Mu yelled, "They were clear marked as civilian ships and they clearly gave you guys identification that definitely said they were neutral! How could you people do such a thing!"

"How could you people fire a nuclear missile at a farming colony?" Visch counter. "I was going to say you were good and I have to admit, you are, for a mobile armor pilot."

"You too Sword."

"The name's Visch, Visch Donahue," He pulls out both swords and closes in. "Call sign, Wild Thunder!"

Another Cgue, one in standard colors joins the fray, "Stand down Lt. Donahue, I'll take it from here."

Visch scowled, he cuts his communication from Mu, "The hell with that, I saw him so he's mine!"

"Is that a way to treat a superior officer?"

"You can kiss my ass Rau."

"Great. Just great," Mu muttered as he dodges fire from the two Cgues.

--

"**The Nelson-class' been eighty-sixed!" **

Lucian announced, listening to Zaft frequencies. "We're on our own now."

Frank sighed, "Why am I not surprised…"

They were accompanied by a small unit of four Scandinavian-made Leos and another Firefly. The MMU-01E Leos, the oldest military mobile suit still in service, they were in use since late 68CE. Despite its rather dated design, they still proved to be tough and very reliable.

Daniel had went to find better vantage point, while they held a defensive perimeter around the main facility as the UN foot soldiers escorted the civilian personnel to available shelters.

"How's evac coming along?" Daniel radios in.

"We're pretty stretched out," Lucian replies. "Most of the civvie shelters are full. We decided to put the remaining people at the military shelter on the far side."

"Issue the order for our boys to wear spacesuits and get ready for a level ten."

"You're seriously thinking we have to abandon the colony?"

"I just have that gut feeling," Daniel replied. "Now issue the order."

"Right," Lucian switches the frequency. "ST Bravo to all units, we're now in code 5, I repeat, we're now at code 5."

"Sir!" A Scorpion over boosts toward them, "We're getting reports from Baker team. They're asking whether they should respond to requests of assistance by OMNI personnel on B-16."

"You heard that sir?" Frank asked.

"Loud and clear sergeant," Daniel replies. "I'll go on ahead and scout things out. "Tell Baker team to set up an FO position, we'll back them up.

"Yes sir!" The scorpion boosts off.

"Shepherd one," Lucian radioed. "What's the evac status?"

"We're pretty much done here sir, "The unit commander responded. "We heard the calls from Baker, go for it. We can handle it here."

"Thanks Shepherd one," Frank said. "As soon as you're done, get yourselves into a shelter."

"Copy ST Bravo. Good luck, Shepherd one out."

"**Okay, I got the override taken care of." Miyuki called via intercom, "Get ready guys."**

"Copy that," Michael answered.

Outside, several ginns stood watch.

"Hey the check it out," one of the pilots noticed one of the large hangar doors.

"What the…"

--

**At the same time, on another side of the colony, **

Lt. Daniel Spear hid his headhunter behind several buildings, using a 94mm. SRM4 'Sagittarius' sniper rifle. He aims at the site where three of five of the EA mobile suits stood. Daniel took an image of the three suits. "Confirming, three G's have been captured."

"Roger," Frank's voice responded. "What else are we dealing with mate?"

"I don't think the G's will engage with us," Daniel slowly moved his mobilesuit then quickly jumps up a building. "They're probably still bugged up. So right now, we'll be dealing with three ginns – make that seven, I think I see four more.

"This is Baker One, confirming four ginns. Armaments are standard."

"Copy that Baker One, the three with the Gs are also with standard." Daniel takes up sniping position. The headhunter's legs lower the main body.

"So it's seven, plus three G's we got numbers and firepower, should we take them on?" Frank asked, he had a note of excitement in his voice.

"Let's see how they react first with an H&I." Daniel activates the MS sniping interface.

--

"**Are you sure the entry team captured three suits?" **

One of the ginn pilots yelled as they desperately tried to shoot down one of the wyverns as they soared above them.

"That's what they said in the radio!" The unit commander replied before he gets hit with a beam blast destroying his ginn's head and detaching its left arm, "Argh!"

"Alpha one, Get those APC's moving!" Regina yelled as she fires her 150mm. beamrifle shooting the leg off one of the ginns.

"We'll cover you!" Wynn added, setting aside her rifle for a beamsaber. "The west alpha shelter should still be vacant!" She dives down and rams two ginns with her shield piercing one just below the head which immediately disables the mobilesuit without necessarily killing the pilot.

"Copy that Bravo, good luck."

"Thanks."

--

"**Damn it…" Rusty Mackenzie staggered his way through the halls, grasping the wound that woman technician had given her. **

"Beaten by a natural…" He sadly smiled, "I can hear the guys laughing at me already."

He then froze at the sound of the click of a gun. _Ah Crap, this just isn't my day…_

"Don't move," a voice commanded him from behind. A hand pulls out the pistol in his holster and detaches the field pack. "I don't want to kill you."

Rusty's eyes widened when heard the voice. _Is that?_

"I just want to know something, Rusty. Did Zaft come here for me or they just here for the mobilesuits?"

"Commander Legna?" His tone still unsure. Just about he was to turn his head, a gun's muzzle is jabbed on his back.

"Please don't turn around," She ordered. "Or else I'll really might have to kill you."

Rusty swallowed hard, "Right…"

"And it's not Morrigan Legna anymore; I'm using name real name now."

"So it's I'll just call you Mrs. Kajiura right?"

"Yeah… something like that."

She then noticed a wound on your side, "You're hit."

"It's not too bad."

"We should put something on it besides your hand," She pulls out the first aid kit on his back pouch. "Honestly how the hell do made it this far. Slip off your suit off a bit will you?"

Rusty stood still as she began treating his wound. He looked forward the whole time. "Commander, why are you here?" He asked.

"I work here for starters." She replied nonchalantly, "I have to earn money to feed myself and Elle after all."

"You're with the Earth forces' mobilesuit program?" He gripped his fist.

She stopped bandaging him for a moment and then resumed.

"Yes," she answered calmly.

The answer felt like a punch to gut, "Why…"

"I have my reasons, Orb after all is my home now."

"What about the Plants?" He murmurs, "How could you just disappear like that? Wh-"

"You can blame Patrick Zala for that." She replies bitterly, "What that man is doing steering us all the destruction."

"Who are you to judge him," Rusty countered. "You left the Plants when you were needed the most."

Miyuki laughs sardonically, "If only realized what that man is planning."

"Patrick Zala is trying hard to protect the Plants."

"Does that justify committing mass genocide?" She asked with a calm voice.

"Wha…?" Rusty was confused, "What do you mean?"

_He doesn't know_, Miyuki thought. _GENESIS must still be top secret_.

"It's best you don't know," She replies. "You're a good kid Rusty. You should get out of here. I hope we'll meet again in a better time."

Rusty walks forward for a few steps. By the time he turns around to find she was already gone.

"Me too…" He said sadly.

**Miyuki rode an elevator down, she leans against the wall.**

She banged her head slightly against the wall reflecting at how things were turning out.

"Why…? Why does everyone I touch get involved…? No matter how hard I try… It always the same result…"

When the elevator reaches the floor she wanted, she walks out and looks at a storage door that looked unused.

"I never thought I'd used you…" She said as she punch in a code to the keypad next it. The door opens with a noisy creaking, inside was a ginn. It had none of the usual weapons of the standard Zaft model.

It was armed with only two swords, a katana and a wakizashi. Both made by Un No of the Graveyard as a gift. Both blades were decorated with a pattern that when you looked closely resembled a mountain range when looked above the clouds.

The katana had a golden sword guard and the handle was in the traditional black color, wrapped in a gold cord. She named it "Chaya" Ibaloi, a Philippine dialect, for Heaven.

The wakizashi in the other hand had a silver sword guard. The handle was white with a green cord. Yuki named it "Beday" which was Ibaloi for Earth.

Miyuki's fist tightened "I have to fight."

Resolve finally found its place in her heart.

--

**It took a few seconds for Baker one, the FO unit, to give coordinates to the artillery unit in the firebase which was made up of three fireflies.**

Their first volley was coordinated, the succeeding fire was to H&I or Harassment and Interdiction fire.

"Okay let's go all out mates!" Frank yelled.

The discharges were deafening, rounds left the muzzles with a loud bang as air was rapidly displaced. At the same time, Daniel fires his first round at a ginn that was a little separated to the rest. The bullet pierces just below the head. It falls down on its back.

Seeing his mobilesuit was now useless he exits the cockpit as another gets knocked out by artillery.

"Now get out of here," Daniel mumbles. "I only give one chance, so make the most of it."

"**Damn it!" We're surrounded!" One of the ginn pilots yelled as rounds exploded around them.**

Several legionnaire scorpions, heavy scorpions and Leos began firing from secure positions behind buildings.

"We've got to get out of here!" Dearka Elsman yelled as his suit is nearly hit by an incoming round. "They'll tear us apart if we don't!"

"Damn cowards!" Yzak Joule cursed, "You're all lucky I can't afford losing this suit!"

"Wait!" Nicol cried, "What about Athrun and Rusty?"

They can take of themselves," Yzak snapped. "Our mission is to bring these suits back to Commander Le Creuset undamaged!"

"Besides," Dearka added. "We can't do much with these crappy OS."

**The three stolen units flew out of there, they were in full view of the FO unit.**

"Should we clip their wings?" one of the pilots asked.

"No," Lucian replies. "God knows what the OMNI bigwigs will say if we wreck their expensive suits. Besides, we're here to protect the colony. Not the Earth alliance's interests.

The pilot nods, "Gotcha sir."

"Okay let's go," Lucian radios to the other pilots. "We'll pick them off as teams, don't go solo."

They went out of their hiding places and began making their way toward the remaining ginns.

The legionnaire scorpions and heavy scorpions with assault rifles and beamrifles held their shields in front as they charged in. While legionnaires armed with heavier weapons and the Leos began firing at a distance.

The firebase still kept firing though in a less intense pace but was still enough to keep the ginns scattered.

Daniel takes down another ginn the same way he did with first one. This time he was spotted by another ginn but before he could return fire Daniel shoots the ginns head in the mono-eye. At the same time the same ginn gets rammed by a heavy scorpion sending it flying.

Another ginn gets its legs swept from behind by Lucian's from behind with a heathawk. He then shoots it below the head.

Several ginns came in to support but were quickly dispatched by the largely veteran UN pilots.

The last two ginns, seeing how easily their teammate's mobilesuits got destroyed, retreated.

"Looks like they're on the run," Lucian radioed. "Should we chase them?"

"Specialist," Daniel said. "Get two of your men and follow me. Sgt. Snow we're leaving you in charge here, get those men to safety."

"Roger," both enlisted men answered.

--

"**We have incoming!" Regina yelled as the Alpha one APC's made their way through to the shelter.**

As they came closer she notices there were only four of them, "They're fewer than I expected, considering they got 5 ships out there."

"They're probably split up," Wynn replied. "Should we take them?"

Regina thought for a moment, "We'll take them at range, no close combat till we thin them out a bit. And make sure your shots count, remember we're in a colony."

"Roger," Wynn replied as they took off.

As they approach, Regina waits for the missile lock, she easily dodges the incoming fire with a sudden dive. She returns fire with short bursts of the Igelstellungs and 115mm. AW22's. Wynn does the same. Regina missile were lock but she waits for the perfect moment to let them loose.

"Wynn!" She yelled. "Crossfire!"

"Copy!" Both wyverns suddenly accelerate to a high speed toward the four ginns.

"What the hell are they doing," one of the pilots asked.

"They're probably going for close range," Another pilot pulls his MA-M3 heavy sword out. "Keller, get your sword out. Peters, Damas, get behind us and watch our backs."

"Looks like they fell for it," Wynn pulls out her beam saber.

Regina mimics her, "We'll do it at 25 feet, give them half your load."

"Roger."

Both wyverns maintain their speed. When they were at 25 feet from the ginns, they split up. One going left, the other going right. They strafed and fired half their missile loads at them. All hit their targets, two ginns fall to the ground.

"That's two" Regina asked they quickly turned back, Regina armed herself with the 150mm. M19 beamrifle while Wynn kept her saber drawn.

Damaged but not down, one of the ginns charges Wynn's wyvern with its sword drawn.

Janus Llewelyn sets her shield aside and draws her second saber. The ginns attacks with a downward cut. Wynn parries the attack with her left saber, the sword breaks on contact. She thrusts the right saber into the ginn's chest just below the head, destroying its vital systems and the battery, the ginn falls.

Regina blasts the chest of the last ginn disabling it, "And that's four."

"Gina!" Wynn called out, "Check that out." She pointed at the direction of where Mu La Flaga continued fighting off the Cgues of both Visch Donahue and Rau Le Creuset.

"Look's like he needs help," Regina commented. "Let's go then."

--

"**Weird," Antonio muttered as he entered the assembly wing. "That guy had an easy shot on those two, why didn't he take it?"**

As he took out three soldiers, one of the other soldiers went after the lieutenant and the kid. Lt Ramius was waiting for him and took him down. As soon as that happened, the second soldier got up there and shot her on the arm, he had them on his sights but he didn't finish them off. From his body language, Antonio guessed he didn't want to shoot. Why was that?

From years of experience on the field, Antonio learned to study how a soldier acts and reacts. This alone told him a lot about a soldier, how well trained, fit, fresh and disciplined he was. That last one was definitely well trained and disciplined, they way he moved told him he was still a little bit green at least as a foot soldier. His aim was excellent, he fire in a controlled burst. _But why didn't he shoot?_

The soldier hesitated when he got a good look of Ramius and the kid.

"He recognized one of them," Antonio guessed as he enters the cockpit of his mobilesuit. Everybody was gone, his suit was the only important hardware left. He quickly turns the machine's systems on. "Maybe that's why he hesitated."

_The lieutenant didn't react the same way. It maybe that kid_, he thought. Though he wasn't too sure, the way the kid acted may have been just fear. Antonio tried to shoot but there were too many obstructions. Lt. Ramius manages to get the GAT-X105 Strike out of there, while the soldier took the Aegis.

"I guess I'll have to worry about that later." He said as the OS activated.

--

**MOBILE SUIT OPERATION SYSTEM**

**/Version EUMOS 2.3 – Rev. 1067/**  
**G**eneral  
**U**nilateral  
**N**euro – Link  
**D**ispersive  
**A**utonomic  
**M**aneuver  
**G.U.N.D.A.M Synthesis System**

**U. N. Autonomous Armed Forces  
**

**Project Zero GAT-X013**

**CHIMERA**

--

"Phase shift…" He pushes the button, "Activating."

Sections of the Chimera's torso turn black, parts of the forearms are colored blue. The rest was generally colored white and grey.

"So far so good," He makes a quick look on the weapons system. "Weapons are all online, good."

He then looks at support, "Mirage colloid, Rommel panzer are also good."

"Anton!" He hears Mike's voice in the radio. "You there? We could use a little more help out here."

"Roger," Antonio responds, "I'm coming out."

--

"**Captain!" The communications officer of the Agares UN flagship yelled, "It started."**

Both Jethro and the captain frowned.

"Set all thrusters to full, signal the fleet."

--

**A/N:** Well, the stage is set. I decided to give Rusty Mackenzie a starring role in my AU so this should be interesting.

--

**Glossary:**

**SNAFU/ Situation Normal All Fouled/ Fucked Up** – An army slang acronym.

**Sitrep/ Situation Report** – slang for an on-the-spot field report of a military situation.

**FO/Forward Observer** – A man or unit with the task of scouting for hostile targets for artillery and/or air support.

**H&I/ Harassment and Interdiction fire**– an artillery barrage designed to harass an enemy position and denying them the use of the terrain.


	3. Mechhead part 1

**ZGMF-515 CGUE Visch Donahue Custom**  
**Model number:** ZGMF-515  
**Code name:** Cgue  
**Unit type:** custom commander type mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Maius Military Industries/Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty  
**Operator(s):** Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty

**Pilot(s):** Visch Donahue**  
First deployment:** Unknown  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 21.43 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 80.22 metric tons

**Construction:** Unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Fixed armaments:**

1 x MMI-M7S 76mm heavy assault machinegun, stored on back

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher, docked on leg

1 x "Dusk" katana, stored on left hip in sheathe

1 x "Dawn" wakizashi, stored on right hip in sheathe

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x M7070 shield-plus-28mm vulcan system

1 x M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle

1 x M69 "Barrus" heavy particle cannon

**A/N:** Visch is from MS Gundam sidestory 79: Rise from the ashes dreamcast game and manga. He's sort of a cross between Andrew Waltfeld and Ramba Ral with a touch of cockiness on the side. In MS Gundam he piloted a Gouf and since there aren't any of those yet, I created this

**EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 1 Scorpion**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk104 Type 1  
**Code name:** Legionnaire Scorpion  
**Unit type:** mass produced all-terrain and amphibious assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Lucian Helmsley Lawman**  
First deployment:** March 11, 69ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 68.90 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 15, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M1 "Grunt"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle, stored on back

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on back of hip

1 x Ghazi Combat shield, docked on left arm

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield

2 x 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**A/N:** The Legionnaire series and the Headhunter are based on my tried and true designs from Armored Core and Front Mission.

**EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 2 Firefly**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk104 Type 2  
**Code name:** Legionnaire Firefly  
**Unit type:** mass produced all-terrain and amphibious long-range artillery mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Franklin Snow**  
First deployment:** March 11, 69ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 86.30 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 15, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M1-B "Grenadier"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle, stored on back

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on back of hip

1 x Ghazi Combat shield, docked on left arm

2 x 155mm. M24 Heavy Lineargun, mounted on shoulders

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield

2 x 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 3 Heavy Scorpion**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk104 Type 3  
**Code name:** Legionnaire Heavy Scorpion  
**Unit type:** mass produced all-terrain and amphibious heavy armored assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot**  
First deployment:** March 11, 69ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 87.60 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 15, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M1 "Grunt"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle, stored on back

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on back of hip

1 x Ghazi Combat shield, docked on left arm

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield

2 x 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 4 Dragonfly**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk104 Type 4  
**Code name:** Legionnaire Dragonfly  
**Unit type:** mass produced all-terrain and amphibious paratrooper assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot**  
First deployment:** March 11, 69ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 57.30 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 15, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M1 "Grunt", EE20 Aerial Maneuver pack

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle, stored on back

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on back of hip

1 x Ghazi Combat shield, docked on left arm

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield

2 x 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**EUMS-Mk105 Headhunter**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk105  
**Code name:** Headhunter  
**Unit type:** Limited production all-terrain and Amphibious Scout/Sniper and long range support mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Daniel Spear**  
First deployment:** May 20 69ce

**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 52.80 metric tons

**Construction:** Sept. 11, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M2 "Stalker"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x SRM4 "Sagittarius" 94mm. sniper rifle, stored on back

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on back of hip

1 x Ghazi Combat shield, docked on left arm

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M70 long range railgun,

1 x 150mm. M21C long range high-energy beam rifle

1 x M12 175mm. long range linear rifle

**EUMS-Mk109 Wyvern**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk109  
**Code name:** Wyvern  
**Unit type:** Aerial combat/ close heavy ground support mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc. / Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, United Emirates of Orb (Limited), Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Janus Llewelyn Aelia, Regina Alexis Dante**  
First deployment:** Jan 25, 71ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** head height 17.50 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 63.50 metric tons

**Construction:** July 18, 70 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M3 "Strider"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75 mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x AW22 115 mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

4 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod, docked on shoulders and on legs

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield, docked on left arm

2 x "Armor Schneider" combat knife, stored on back of hips

2 x Beam saber, stored in hips

1 x M19 175mm. beamrifle, stored on side of hip

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x M12 175mm. long-range linear rifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

A/N: These guys look like the basic M1 Astray frame with the aile pack and missile launchers attached to the legs and shoulders

**MMU-01E Leos**

**  
Model number:** MMU-01E  
**Code name:** Leos

**Unit type:** mass produced land and space mobilesuit

**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau. / Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union (limited), United Nations Autonomous Armed Forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Jethro Lance Mills

**First deployment:** Dec. 11, 68ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.20 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 42.80 metric tons

**Construction:** June 4, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **CBT-01 Orbital flightpack, CBT -04 parachute unit, EE20 Aerial maneuver pack

**Fixed armaments:**

1 x MMG68 120mm. multibarrel heavy machinegun, stored on back

1 x HS-02 combat shield, docked on left arm

1 x M1 heavy sword, stored on back

2 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS, mounted on shoulders

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x CWG-BZ-50 250mm. Bazooka,

2 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod,

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher,

1 x M19 175mm. beamrifle,

4 x MB2 explosive charge,

1 x SRM4 "Sagittarius" 94mm. sniper rifle,

**A/N: **These boys look just as they did in the Wing series.


	4. Phase3: Sorrow of War

GS Phase 4

**A/N: **Dang, thisis a fight heavy chapter. All gods mentioned (unless I say so) are from the Philippines during the pre-colonial period. I'll enumerate which god is what after the chapter. The song "And One" belongs to Linkin Park.

**Phase 03: Sorrow of War**

--

"**Bravo, this is Alpha one," Regina's radio went off. "Evac's complete."**

"Copy that Alpha one," She responded. "You best better evac yourselves, we'll handle things from here."

"Roger that Bravo, Alpha one out."

"Well Wynn," Regina thought a deep breath. "Looks like we're on our own."

"Looks that way," Wynn replied. She watched the mobile armor pilot skillfully dodge the incoming fire, "That guy's good."

Regina nods, "Yeah. It'd be a shame if he gets killed, c'mon."

"I'm with ya." She set back her left saber and pulls out her shield.

"**What?"**

Rau Le Creuset saw the two wyverns first, "Those weren't included in the data…"

"Hey," Mu smiles when he saw the two mobile suits. "Nice to see some of own for a change."

"Well, well…" Visch once again sets his machineguns aside and pulls out his swords, "Looks like the UN has some new toys too."

"**Gina!" **

Wynn yelled, "I think that red CGUE belongs to a Sword!"

Regina examines it for moment, "I'd better take him, Wynn take the white one."

"Copy," the former ZAFT redcoat responded.

"**Let's see what you got!" **

Visch, holding _Dawn_ underhand on his left, thrusts the wakizashi at Regina's wyvern.

She blocks it with her shield. Visch then swings _Dusk_ towards the wyverns head.

Regina gritted her teeth, "Damnit…"

She drops her beamrifle since she's too close to use it and instinctively grabs the forearm of the CGUE to stop the attack. She then kicks the CGUE on the abdominal area where the cockpit was to disorient the pilot and to push him away.

Visch yelled as this happened, he smiles as he recovered.

"Not bad Feddy," he remarked using the name given to people of the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations, guessing the pilot was probably from either country.

Regina scowled, "I'm not with Eurasia anymore."

He boosts at her again, this time Regina just manages to block dawn, seeing that the red CGUE pilot was going to thrust this time she pulls out an armor Schneider and parries that attack.

She couldn't kick him again because he was too close.

As they were locked together, Visch decides to go to talk the pilot again. "So you're Eurasian. You don't seem too happy 'bout it."

"Why should I be happy," Regina replied almost casually. "Our leaders, men and women who swore to serve the country, sold us all out for their personal gain. They'd care less what would happen to the country."

"Then why are you fighting for them?"

"I'm not fighting for them," She answered, managing to make a little leeway for her to shoot her Igelstellungs. This makes Visch reel back and giving her room to pull out her beam saber, "I'm fighting for the UN, this colony and for myself!"

Visch grinned at this answer, "Now that's an answer I'd like to hear more often. And you're good Feddy."

Regina smiled, "You're not half as bad yourself Sword."

"**You okay in there?"**

Wynn asked Mu as she fires her Igelstellungs and AW22s at Rau's CGUE.

"I'm fine," he responded he fires his lineargun. "What unit are you guys?"

"UN Special Taskforce," Wynn pulls out her beam saber.

This peaked his curiosity, "Special Taskforce? What are big guns like you guys doing here?"

"Sorry buddy," Wynn answered. "That's classified."

"Heh, Figures"

"Watch it kid," Mu warned. "The person piloting that mobile suit is Rau Le Creuset."

"Yeah I know, I heard him in the ZAFT frequencies."

Wynn charges in, thrusting her saber through Rau's shield, narrowly missing the CGUE as it went through. She then individually swings both sabers upwards continually. Rau was barely managing to dodge her attacks as he tried to fight back.

Rau noticed the insignia on the wyvern's left shoulder "Hmm… Interesting, these suits are UN."

"Commander Le Creuset!" The GAT-X303 Aegis boosted toward them.

"Athrun," He then begins backing off and firing his machinegun. "I see you've acquired one of the enemy's mobile suits."

"Sir, they got Rusty and the Earth forces managed to get one of their mobile suits running. Miguel stayed behind to take care of the last one."

"So it's Athrun," Wynn had been listening to the ZAFT frequencies.

"Return to the ship Athrun," Le Creuset said. "I'll back up Miguel myself."

"Yes sir," The Aegis leaves for the Vesalius.

"Lt. Donahue, take care of things over here."

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

Le Creuset breaks off from the engagement.

"Oh no you don't!" Mu La Flaga chases after him.

"You're not going alone," Wynn follows.

Wynn looks back from where the Aegis had gone, "Athrun."

"**Well,"**

Visch twirls his swords, "Looks like it's just you and me."

Regina puts back her beam sabers and pulls out her Armor Schneiders, "That's just fine with me."

--

"**Ant, you think they'll just go at us that easily?"**

Both the GAT-X013 Chimera and the GAT-X014 Siginarugan walked through a built up but deserted section of the colony.

"They probably think all the G-units belong to the Earth Alliance, so they'll think we're easy pickings. After all, we're just 'stupid' naturals."

Michael smirked, "Right."

This wasn't going to the first time they've done this. They sometimes exploited most coordinators tendency to look down at naturals. It made their jobs easier, when they made them think they were dealing with 'inferior beings'. This usually made them at ease, and ripe for the pickings.

Their radar alarms go off, "See? What did I tell you?"

Michael pulls down the sniper interface, there were at least twelve mobilesuits "Look at them, they aren't even trying to be careful. Like lambs to the slaughter."

"**Commander, confirming they're Earth forces mobilesuits." One of the GINN pilots said.**

"What should we do now sir?"

"Can you confirm if they're with us?"

"No sir, we've tried patching a link with them but they're not responding."

The commander, the captain of the Armstrong thought for moment, "Try to force the pilots to surrender. As much possible we'll take those units intact. If they resist, use whatever force necessary."

"Roger."

"**Hey Ant," Michael called out. "I just got ordered surrender."**

"Me too," he answered.

"Should give 'em an act? We can take them out faster that way."

Antonio shook his head, "Nah, let's just wait for them to be a little closer."

He then smiles, "Besides, I'd like to try taking them on one by one. I don't think we'll make the sea trials at this rate."

Michael grins, "Good point there. Guess we better split up then."

"Right, happy hunting man," Antonio steers the Chimera into an open section of land.

"You too bro," Michael guides the Siginarugan into a cluster of buildings.

"And if you're gonna use your main gun, fire it in short bursts, I don't want you making any holes in the colony."

"Right, right."

"**Sir the mobilesuits have split up," the GINN pilot reported. "I believe they're trying to escape sir."**

"Do what you have to do Lieutenant."

"Yes sir."

"**Here they come," Michael already felt the adrenaline flowing. "Time to show these guys what Spartan Eternals can do."**

He pulls out there Siginarugan's main gun, the M20 200mm. beamcanon.

Michael looked down to Elle, who quietly sat on his lap, "Hold on tight kiddo, things are about to get a little messy."

The little girl held on him tight, "Uncle Mike, Will mama be okay?"

"She will be fine, I promise."

"**What the-!" one of the GINNs gets shot in the head by a beam blast instantly disabling it.**

"Damnit!" The lieutenant cursed. "Watch out, he can use his weapons!"

"Damn natural! I'll show him!" one of the younger pilots charges toward where the beam blast originated.

"Gallagher! Get back here!"

Another beam blast takes out a GINN next to the lieutenant. "Spread out! He'll pick us off if we bunch up!"

Michael sees the one of the GINNs charging at his position. "That's right, come to papa."

He walks the Siginarugan to open, its wings still encasing its body.

"Die!" The young pilot recklessly launches all his "Pardus" and "Canus" missiles at the X014.

Frightened, Elle's grip tightened.

"Pft," Michael scoffed. "Please."

He fires the M20's attachment the M6A2 300mm. flak launcher, shooting large pieces of explosive flak. With one shot, Michael takes out most of the missiles, what survived harmlessly missed him.

"Damn you!" The coordinator screamed, he pulls out his sword and charges toward the Siginarugan.

Michael's mobilesuit effortlessly evades the GINNs attacks by dodging and simply backing away.

"You're pretty good," Michael commented though the young pilot couldn't hear him. He smiled gleefully, somewhat toying with the young coordinator, seeing he wasn't much of a problem for him.

After a few more swings his seriousness returned, "But not good enough."

He pulls out what looked like a long black metal staff and blocks the GINN's sword.

Inside the GINN, the young arrogant pilot smirked. "What's that thing supposed to do?"

He was about to find out.

At one end of the staff, two bursts of green-white light emerged. Michael pushes the GINN away.

"W-Wha?" Disoriented by the sudden flash and because of the Siginarugan's push, the GINN backs away.

The two flashes light were from the two beam ducts on the staff, activating for the first time, it was actually a double beam scythe, the "Sidapa," the god of Death

But the GINN charged again, "You think that's gonna scare me?" The coordinator yelled.

Almost as though he could hear him, Michael muttered, "You should be scared."

The Siginarugan's eyes glowed, the GINN attacks with a downward swing.

The duel was over in a split second.

In one, smooth, continuous motion the Siginarugan cuts the GINN's head and both arms off, making one revolution then cutting the legs.

**Antonio and the GAT-X013 Chimera, though not as graceful, were dealing their encounter just as well.**

Using the hand mounted M251A2 88mm. short range plasma launchers to make walls of flame in front of charging GINNs to make them veer off suddenly which half of the time end up damaging themselves. It used a special liquid that reacted in contact with oxygen making a material that can burn even in the vacuum of space.

"Die natural!" a GINN charges toward him with its sword in a thrust stance.

Antonio extends his suit's hand toward, but instead of using the launcher, he uses the "Dragon fangs," extending claw weapons that can exert extreme amounts of pressure.

Four claws detracted from the wrist, it launches 4 meters and makes contact with the GINN's head, crushing it. While doing so Antonio fends off an attack by another GINN with the Igelstellungs and AW22's as he blocks its attack with his shield.

"Let's see what you can do with this!" A GINN dives from the air, firing its machinegun.

"You guys are giving us work out," Antonio comments as he presses several buttons.

The Chimera's legs become distorted, turning insect-like. A second, thinner pair of legs emerges from the back of the main legs to form the hind pair. In this form the Chimera dexterously sidesteps the onslaught of shells. Antonio then jumps whilst pulling out the Chimera's main melee weapon, a Chinese poled-scimitar, "Mandarangan" and thrusts it through the GINN's chest in mid-air. The mobilesuit falls.

**The ZAFT squad commander couldn't believe how easily his GINNs were easily taken down.**

"Damn it! How can naturals possibly be this powerful?" He patches in to the main line, "This is Breaker 4, requesting back up from any available unit!"

He was greeted with nothing but static, "What the – the connection was working fine a minute ago!"

"Mike I hear then making contact, you got that radio jammer on?"

"Yup, it's on the highest setting."

**Three GINNs attack the Chimera at once, one from the air with its machinegun, two on the ground with their swords.**

"Now this ain't fair…" Antonio commented.

The Chimera pulls out one of its beam sabers and throws it, the saber twirls in the air then strikes the GINN in the air on the chest.

Antonio blocks the two GINNs' swords with the "Mandarangan." He kicks one of the GINNs away knocking it down. He then pushes off the GINN's sword, while still regaining its balance, Antonio finishes it off with one swing of the glaive.

As the other GINN gets back up, the Chimera sweeps its feet with its glaive, then plunges it into the GINN's chest.

"Next time, double the GINNs."

**Five GINNs attack the Siginarugan the same way. One was easily dispatched by the Sidapa.**

Two others managed to grab the scythe as Michael did so, "Ovan! Alaric! Now's your chance!"

"You're finished Natural!" The other two GINNs went at it with their swords.

"Good thinking, but the thing is…" He splits the staff into two; to the GINN pilots' surprise and dismay the other half of the scythes staff also has beam blades and can also turn into kamas.

"I guess it's time to go all out," Mike places the wings into another setting making then spread, revealing the body of the mobilesuit. The force of the wings knocks the two GINNs holding Mike. They were spread out making Michael's mobilesuit much more frightening as they made it look like an angel of death.

Mike cracked his knuckles, "Okay boys, it's time to really party!"

The Siginarugan charges forward, disables the two GINNs by destroying their heads as it passes them. The damage was not apparent until the two GINNs fell.

"Shoot it! Shoot it!" One of the pilots of the two surviving GINNs yelled in panic as it came toward them.

Their bullets harmlessly deflect away from it, after seeing how easily it destroyed several GINNs in only a few minutes they had a reason to be scared.

"Looks like they're really spooked," Michael smiles a little sadistically. "Maybe this should really mess with their heads."

Elle watched with intrigue as he presses several buttons.

"Activating RHEA and Mirage colloid."

It makes the RHEA wings to return to their original position, covering the upper body. Also, it began to vanish.

"W-where did it go?" the frightened pilot looked around.

They were standing in the middle of open ground, surrounded by the remains of fallen GINNs. There was no where to run nor hide.

"C'mon!" the pilot was beginning to let his emotions go unchecked. "Come out you coward!" He began firing his machinegun randomly around him.

"Ovan, take it easy! He's trying to ge-" Something hits his GINN's head, it falls to the ground.

His partner turns around, only to be greeted by the pale green eyes of the Siginarugan. A blade was sticking out of its forearm.

"Game over man," With one swing he cuts the GINN's head off.

--

"**That pilot's good for a natural," Wynn commented as she dealt with the GINN that was fighting the GAT-X105 Strike. **

She watched it fro the air as it fought with Rau Le Creuset's CGUE, "Real good."

"Don't think I'll go easy on you either natural!" the GINN swung its sword at her.

Wynn smirked, dodging his attack easily.

"You never changed Miguel Aiman. And get your facts straight, I'm a coordinator just like you."

"Aelia?" Miguel's GINN froze suddenly.

"Who else can it be?" She snapped, "You guys are on neutral territory, Now get your butt out of here before I decide to take you down!"

"You and what army?" He sneered.

Her eyes turned into slits, "You asked for it Aiman."

"Bring it on," He charges toward her. "Traitor!"

"Call whatever you want…" She pulls out both sabers and charges.

As they make contact, both swing their blades. The GINN's arm was severed from the body. "…I'm still better then you."

Miguel clicked his tongue, "You'll pay for this Aelia." He then boosts away.

Wynn then turns her attention to the earth forces G-unit.

Her eyes widened when she saw it was about to fire its Agni 320mm. beamcanon in what looked like full capacity.

"No! That weapon's not –"

The Strike fires, it blasts a hole into the side the colony.

--

"**What the hell?" Michael saw the blast in the corner of his eye. "What was that?"**

"Damnit Mike!" Antonio voice yelled angrily in the radio, "Didn't I tell you to watch it?"

"Hey it wasn't me!" Mike retorted, "I'm in C-3, there's no way I shot that!"

"Capt. Dante!" Antonio called through radio, "Who the hell shot that beam weapon?"

"You've got me sir and I'm kinda busy right now," Antonio could here the sound of weapons in the background. "But think it came from somewhere in D-13"

"We better check it out ourselves Ant," Michael suggested. "Where are you anyway?"

"C-14, I'll me you there."

The phase shift of the Strike started to fade.

"What?" Kira said he realized what was happening, "The battery's out already?"

"The Strike wasn't supposed to be used in battle yet," Murrue explained despite their dire situation. "It hasn't been fitted with a proper energy battery."

"But that means…"

Realizing what was going on Rau Le Creuset charges, "Now I got you!"

"God damn it!" Wynn cursed as she chases after the white CGUE.

"Damn!" Mu La Flaga attempts to block Le Creuset with his mobile armor and loses his linear gun in the process.

Just when Rau was about to go for the kill, a GINN blocks his attack in the nick of time.

"What!" Rau scowled at this new annoyance.

This GINN didn't bear any UN nor ZAFT identifications or insignias. It was colored black on the head, upper torso, hands and feet, the rest was colored white. It looked like a normal GINN, except it was armed only by two weapons, a katana and a shorter wakizashi which it was using to block the CGUE's sword in a cross.

"What the hell were you thinking you God damn idiot!" Miyuki Kajiura yelled angrily at the Strike. "Don't you know the Agni beamcanon's capable punching through the colony wall?"

Shocked in hearing her voice, Murrue and Kira both responded.

"Y-Yuki?"

"Mrs. Kajiura?"

Miyuki's anger faded when she realized who was piloting.

"Murrue? Kira? What are you guys doin–"

Le Creuset boosting away cuts her off mid-sentence.

_He's going to attack again._

"Murrue-sama! Where's the AQM/E-X02 Sword Striker pack?"

This question caught Murrue by surprise, "How did you –?"

"I'll explain later!" She yelled, "Now please, where is it?"

"Second crate to your left."

"Right," She turns to see a wyvern fighting Le Creuset's CGUE. She studies how it fights then switches to a UN frequency, "Wynn! Is that you up there?"

"Yeah," She replied, "Is that your GINN down there?"

"Yes, hold him off for me, I'll be with you in a second."

"Don't take to long Miyuki-sama, this guy's tough."

"I know, I trained with him."

"Right," Wynn fires her Igelstellungs and AW22s to keep the CGUE at bay.

Yuki quickly walks toward to storage crate held the sword striker pack and opens it.

To Murrue's surprise Yuki begins attaching the sword striker pack to her GINN. "How can she…?"

Yuki sheathes Beday and pulls out the "Schwert Gewehr" 15.78 meter anti-ship sword. Despite its weight, she holds it with one hand, the other still holding Chaya.

"Okay," Miyuki boosts her GINN up. "Here we go!"

"Tch," Le Creuset got even more agitated as he fights both Wynn's wyvern and now Miyuki's GINN armed with the sword striker pack.

He was barely keeping up with the relentless attacks of both units. While Wynn would use her beamrifle, CIWS and AW22s, Miyuki would attack up close and personal.

When Wynn fought close up with her beam sabers, Miyuki would fire the "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchor or throw the "Midas Messer" beam boomerang.

After several minutes of repetition of this tactic, Rau Le Creuset gets his CGUE's arm severed by the beam boomerang.

"Commander Rau Le Creuset!" Wynn radioed him, pointing her beamrifle at his suit.

"Lt. Junior grade Aelia, quite surprise finding you here." Le Creuset gave a smile that unsettled her a bit.

"You're violating the neutrality of this colony which is a territory of the United Emirates of Orb. By the authority given to me, I order you to pull out or else face the consequence of fighting UN security and UNAAF forces."

"I have been defeated, so I shall comply." He pulls his CGUE out.

Just as he did so, four GINNs began attacking her and Miyuki.

"Damn!" Miyuki dodges a barrage of machinegun fire, just barely missing her.

"Commander Le Creuset! You agreed to pull out so order your forces to–!"

"I only complied to pulling out," The masked commander said with a snide tone. "You never said anything about my forces, Lt. Aelia." His image disappears from the screen.

Wynn winced on what he said, "Bastard…"

She looks at Miyuki, "Sorry… I should have-"

"Forget about it Wynn," She assured her. "You did well, he just took advantage of what you said."

"Thanks Yuki-sama," She quickly looks at her wyvern current status. "My wyvern can't take much more of this… I'm down to 30 rounds in all my Igelstellungs, 50 in my AW22s and my energy just about drained."

"Get down and defend the Strike," Miyuki ordered. "If worse comes to worse, I'll switch to the Aile pack. Now move!"

--

**After skirting around the perimeter, the four ****GINNs finally close in.**

Miyuki looked at the GINN and sighed, "I never thought it would come to this…"

_Where should I start_

One GINN goes straight to her, strafing around and firing its machinegun.

_Disjointed heart_

She boosts up to a higher height and pulls out her katana, Chaya and the anti ship sword, Schwert Gewehr.

_I've got no commitment_

_To my own flesh and blood_

As the GINNs closes in, she boosts at it.

_Left all alone _

_Far from my home_

It continues to fire as Miyuki spins her GINN slowly which surprisingly makes her harder to hit.

_No one to hear me, heal my ill heart, I_

"Why?"

_Keep it locked up inside_

To the ZAFT pilot's surprise she manages to make it close to him.

_Cannot express_

She cuts the machinegun in half with her katana.

_To the point I've regressed_

The tears began to form in her eyes, "Why does it have to be this way?"

_If anger's a gift, then I guess I've been blessed, I_

The ZAFT pilot tries to pull out his sword,

_Keep it locked up inside_

But Miyuki finishes his GINN by severing both arms and thrusting Chaya into its head.

_Keep my distance from your lies_

Everything that has happened to her in the last few months haunted her in that very moment as she fought.

_It's too late to love me now_

From "Bloody Valentine" and Darren's death,

_You helped me to show me_

The "Ides of March" incident,

_It's too late to love me now_

And when she found out what Patrick Zala's true intentions with GENESIS

_You don't even know me_

Everything was coming back,

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

It was like quicksand,

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

The more fight it, the more you were pulled in,

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

The more you get pulled in, the more can't breathe

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

Because you're in over your head.

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_(Break)_

"Why…?" The two other GINNs close, both with swords drawn

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

_(Me)_

"Why…?" Miyuki's hands began to shake. In that moment; the anger, pain and grief she kept locked inside…

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_(Too)_

…had finally broken out.

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

"Why did this happen to me!"

She dodges both swords and boosts a good distance away. She fires the rocket anchor which hits one of the GINNs, hooking itself firmly.

Miyuki reels the anchor back with the ZAFT GINN came along with it. As it came to her, she drives the Schwert Gewehr into its chest with a violent crash.

At the same time she throws the beam boomerang at the second GINN cutting off its right arm. She then throws the wakizashi, Beday, striking it at the head. It immediately falls to the ground.

--

_Keep it locked up inside_

_Keep my distance from your lies_

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_(Break)_

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

_(Me)_

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_(Too)_

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

_Breaking a part of my heart to find release_

_Taking you out of my blood to bring me peace_

_Keep my distance_

_Keep my distance_

_Keep my distance_

_Keep my distance_

--

The last GINN tries to get away, but Miyuki catches up to it and drives her katana onto its back as she dove down at it.

But she didn't stop there, Miyuki sets her boosters to full and literally rockets downwards to the ground with her limp victim. She was going to drive him into the ground.

Murrue's eyes widened in horror when she realized what her friend was about to do. "Yuki! Don't do it!"

"Kajiura-sama!" Wynn yelled in the top of her voice through the radio, "What are doing? Don't do it!"

Murrue quickly switched the radio of the Strike, "Stop it Yuki, listen to me, please stop… please…" Murrue didn't knew what Miyuki had been up to or what she does for a living in the last few years, but knew she needed her help. Her dear friend was suffering post-traumatic stress, she realized this when they first met in Morgenroete earlier that year.

She held something that was hidden under her shirt. "It won't bring Darren back."

The white and black GINN slows gradually then stops its deadly descent. It lets go the ZAFT GINN, it fell to the ground, its unconscious pilot unaware of the fate he could have met.

At the same time, the Earth force's new Battleship, the Archangel, emerges from its hiding place.

"Wow," Despite what could have happened, Wynn couldn't help but awed at the ship. "So that's the Archangel…"

"Whoa..." Michael saw the unique ship as they approached the location of the Strike.

"Wow," Elle was awed as they flew closer.

Even Antonio was amazed, "It's bigger than I thought… amazing they kept it a secret for quite a while."

**Miyuki got down her GINN via zip line, Murrue was at the foot, waiting on her friend.**

Miyuki looked away when she saw her, ashamed of what she almost done. "Murrue. I –"

"Shhh…" She hugged her, "You can tell me later. I just glad you made it out in one piece."

"Sempai…" She hesitantly holds her. She cried in her friend's arms.

Murrue saw the two mobilesuits that approached them. At first, she thought they were the captured G-units, but as they got closer she realized they were completely different from what she had been working with.

She took a deep breath and sighed, "What's going on here?"

--

**Just moments after the arrival of the Zero units, several elements of the UN forces arrived.**

Everyone gathered at the foot of the new ship, where more surprises were in store.

Wynn was shocked when she saw the teen that accompanied Murrue.

Both she and Kira locked eyes for several seconds, but neither said a word.

Antonio looked at Murrue ruefully. "I commend your bravery for piloting that suit even with the lack of formal training lieutenant," he began. "But did you have to blow a hole through the colony?"

Lt. Murrue Ramius salutes to the UN officer, "Sorry sir. But I do have to admit, it wasn't me who was piloting during the time."

She turns her head toward Kira, "This young man was the one."

This astonished everyone, especially the UN soldiers who piloted and handled mobilesuits.

"I can't believe it… a kid piloted that thing?" one comments.

"Is he one the pilots?"

"He's so young…"

Natarle was astonished the most, "You let a mere civilian control the Strike."

"It's not like I had a choice," Kira answer indignantly.

Intrigued, Antonio studies the young man. Michael beside him stares in disbelief.

Just then, Mu La Flaga walks toward then. "He still gave quite a fight out there."

Murrue looks at the new arrival, "And you are…?"

"Right," he salutes at them. "Lt. Mu La Flaga of the fourth orbital fleet."

Antonio returns his salute, "Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire." He grins at him, "Fancy meeting you here, Mu."

Mu smirked, "You too Spartan."

Mu and Antonio had worked together countless occasions during the Eurasian-Pacific war. He was a V/STOL Spearhead pilot back then, an Atlantic Federation squadron leader supporting the Equatorial 8th army which was under the command of Antonio Le Saint Claire during the time.

She salutes back, "Lt. Murrue Ramius of special division."

Natarle follows, "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel of the sam –"

Mu walked passed her, towards Kira, looking straight his eyes. "You're a coordinator aren't you?"

Kira's friends, who were next to him, were taken aback by this question.

The young teen looks down and answers, "Yes, I am a coordinator."

His answer causes the Earth soldiers behind Natarle and Murrue to level their guns at him.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Tolle yells, he stands between Kira and the soldiers, so did Kuzzey, Miriallia and Sai.

"He's just like us, just because he's a coordinator doesn't mean he's an enemy!"

"Guys…!"

Kuzzey looked over his shoulder and smiles, "You helped us, so now's it's turn to help you. That's what friends are for right?"

"Guys…"

Wynn then stands in front of Kira's four friends and draws her sidearm and aims at the soldiers, other UN soldiers, who were armed with everything from assault rifles to shotguns near her followed.

She looks over her shoulder and smiles at Kira, "You made some good friends Kira."

"Winnie…"

She scowls at him, "Damn it Kira! How many times do I have to tell you that I hate the nick name?"

He cringes as she scolds him," Sorry."

"Troops lower your weapons!" Murrue orders.

Natarle was surprised by this, "But lieutenant! He maybe a–"  
"He's a citizen of Orb, remember the Union of Orb welcomes coordinators." She said it with finality.

"Besides," Antonio adds. "He did help fight off two ZAFT mobile suits didn't he?"

Natarle looks at both of them, "Fine. Lower your weapons, men!"

The EA soldiers followed hesitantly which was contrast to the UN troops, who followed immediately.

"Sorry about that," Mu apologized to Kira. "I was just wondering about it."

"It's okay," Kira responds. "It's the truth anyway."

--

"**What?-! Are you sure?" Murrue was shocked to find out that she was now the captain of the Archangel.**

Natarle nods, "The captain and the all the senior officers had been killed during the attack, that leaves you to be the commanding officer of the Archangel."

"I can't believe this…" Mu sat on one of the chairs in the lobby of the ship. "And my own ship got destroyed too…"

"So…" He continued, "What's your plan now captain?"

Murrue looks at him, confused. "My plan…?"

"ZAFT isn't just going to leave us alone Lieutenant," Antonio said as he leans against the wall.

"Ant's right, Rau Le Creuset isn't the type of person to just give up. He'll keep going at us until he gets this ship."

"Even if it means using D-weapons inside a colony," Miyuki added, she had accompanied Antonio into the ship and had sat quietly with them until then.

Murrue and Natarle looked at her surprise.

"D-weapons are made for besieging fortresses," Natarle began. "He won't do –"

"For an OMNI-enforcer officer Ensign Badgiruel," Miyuki interrupted her with a rather cold voice, one Murrue never heard from her before. It gave Natarle a chill up her spine, making lose her voice. "You're surprisingly naïve, I've trained and worked with Le Creuset, I know the man. He'll use any means at his disposal to get the results he wants."

Murrue looks at her, "You're sure of this Yuki?"

She nods, "I can guarantee it."

Murrue nods back, "It's settled then, we have to get the s0hip out of the colony as soon as possible."

"The problem is who's gonna protect the ship when we do?" Mu said. "The Zero can't do much right now and most of the UN forces here have land based mobilesuits."

"My unit can provide you some cover," Antonio replies. "We're all using space adapted suits. The problem is we'll still be undermanned."

"I can help you with that." Miyuki said, "If you allow me to join Lt. Colonel."

He nods, "By all means. But I'd like somebody to also have a man in the Strike."

Murrue shook her head, "All the pilots were killed during the last attack."

"There's always that kid," Mu suggested.

"I'm not too sure man," Antonio said. "That kid fought only because his friends were in trouble. I seriously doubt he'll do it, again."

"What about you Lt. La Flaga?" Natarle asked, "Can you pilot the Strike?"

He looks at her incredulously, "Are kidding? Haven't you seen the OS he made. It took even Antonio a while before he got it moving."

"It's quite advanced," Antonio said. "It's a lot different to the ZAFT standard military OS."

Murrue was deep in thought, as much as she didn't want force the young coordinator, they had no choice.

--

**Down in the Archangel's hangar, **

Rhiannon panted wildly as he licked his master Lt. Daniel Spear as he approaches the cockpit of his headhunter.

"Nice to see you too boy," He laughs.

"Hey soldier," Kojiro Murdoch called out. "Thanks a lot. Now we finally get some work done on that thing!"

Rhiannon had kept the mechanics at bay from the cockpit, guarding it as though it were his den.

Daniel nods, "You're welcome."

"Hope his didn't give you too much trouble." Wynn laughed as she places the final touches to her wyvern's OS. "You'll have to excuse Rhiannon, he does that to any of our own mechanics too."

"Except me that is," Franklin chuckles as he loads ammunition into the Igelstellung breech of Wynn's wyvern.

"That's because you give him beef jerky all the time," Luke quipped as he extracted data from Regina's wyvern.

"A little less chatter out there," Michael calls out from the Siginarugan's cockpit, he too was working on his OS. "No telling when ZAFT will attack again, so move it."

Hearing the severe tone of Michael's voice, everyone complied immediately.

"You sound serious," Regina comments as she climbs toward the Siginarugan's cockpit.

"Shouldn't you be working on yours too?" He said as his fingers clacked rapidly on the keyboard.

"I'm pretty much done." She answers, "Why are you so worked up anyway?"

He looks at her with a plain look, "There's a ZAFT fleet out there with an unknown number of mobilesuits. And their commander, according to Ant and Yuki, is gonna stop at nothing to take this ship out and anything near it. Tell me why I shouldn't be worked up?"

Regina smirks and shook her head, "I just came up here to tell you not to go lone ranger out there. Promise me that okay?"

"I won't," Michael replies, showing a moment of tenderness. "… Now get back to work."

She nods, "Yes major."

**Miyuki sat quietly in her GINN's cockpit, working on the OS. **

She typed in her usual coordinator speed, something she hasn't done in months.

"Yuki, you in there?" Murrue's voice calls out.

"Yeah, I'm here…" She answers absently.

Murrue enters the cockpit. "I thought this would be the best time for you to explain some things to me Yuki."

"Shoot."

"First, why does this GINN have striker pack hardpoints?"

"Simple, this was the testing rig for the Striker pack system a little while back. We couldn't risk actually using the Strike so we decided to do it on this GINN."

"I see," Murrue nods leaning against the side of the cockpit entrance.

"Murrue, speaking about the Strike, aren't you supposed to be trying to convince Kira-kun to pilot it again?"

She looks over her shoulder at Miyuki with a funny look, "Since when did you start calling me 'Murrue-san?'"

She smirked, "It's been a while, sorry."

"Lt. Flaga and Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire told me they can handle it."

Murrue then became serious. "Yuki. You're in the ZAFT army weren't you?"

She stopped typing. She stares at the distance, "I was."

There was awkward silence until Murrue asked, "Why?"

She sighed, "I was tired. Tired of hiding what I am. I would've joined you in Annapolis but I knew I'll just be trouble for you and me."

"So you joined ZAFT instead?"

"Yes."

Murrue held the locket chained around her neck, "You knew about what happened to Darren before I told you, didn't you?"

"I was in Januarius Four when it happened. I found out several days after it."

"Yuki… Do you… Do you know who attacked the refugee fleet back last March?"

Miyuki resumed typing, "The 'Ides of March' incident?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to know?"

Murrue took deep breath, "Dmitri was on the escort fleet guarding the refugee ships."

Miyuki literally froze, "He…he was?"

The Ides of March incident, March 5, 70CE, a ZAFT mobilesuit unit known as the Swords of the Zodiac attacked a lightly defended refugee fleet from L4 on its way to the moon. Not a single person in the fleet survived the encounter. Was considered to be ZAFT's immediate response to the 'Bloody Valentine' incident."

Dmitri Koya was Murrue Ramius' fiancé.

"Murrue…"

"It's okay Yuki," She smiles weakly though it didn't hide the sadness in her face. "I've gotten over it a bit."

Miyuki retains her composure somewhat. She tries to resume her work but she only manages to type slowly. "I think it's just rumors, but the Sword who attacked the fleet was supposed to a female pilot known as the 'Death Corsair' or 'Death's favorite daughter'"

"It suits her." Murrue comments, "Especially after what she done."

"Yeah."

Murrue clears her throat. "Sorry, I shouldn't be disturbing you."

Miyuki smiles, "It's okay. I think you needed it."

"Thanks Yuki."

"No problem."

"Sempai," Miyuki called out as Murrue walked away. "You sure you'll be okay?"

She looks up with a smile, "I've lasted this far haven't I?"

Miyuki couldn't help but smile sadly as she left the hangar. "Sempai…"

--

**Murrue entered the ward to find Mu and Antonio still trying to convince the young teen.**

"No," Kira said. "I won't pilot that mobilesuit for the Earth forces. Besides there are the UN forces, you've got plenty of support."

Mu pretty much expected this, "Their suits can only do so much kid, we don't really know what we're up against out there. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Besides," Antonio added. "We also have to protect colony's shelters, my units can't be everywhere."

"You can have one of your pilots do it can't you?"

Antonio shook his head, "Normally I would, unfortunately, I've got no reserve pilots and the OS of that thing is way advanced to what we're using."

Kira looked away, "I'm still not doing it."

"You were incredible out there. You piloted thing as though you trained in it," Mu said. "I've seen the guys who're supposed to pilot it and they could hardly even move them."

Kira looked at him, "Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere."

Mu chuckles scratching his cheek with one finger, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Murrue stares at him incredulously, Antonio only rolled his eyes.

--

**In the Vesalius, Rusty sat in one of the private terminals of the ship. He had patched a link with the Ursa Major. **

On the terminal, Douglas Marshall gave him a long, hard look.

"Are you certain about this Mackenzie?"

He nods, "Yes sir."

"So she's here…" Lt. Visch Donahue, the second person Rusty linked to said. "Does Le Creuset know?"

"No sir, I haven't told him yet."

"Well don't. Yuki's probably got her reasons. For now, we're gonna have to protect her whether she likes it or not."

"**Check it out," Dearka Elsman pointed his thumb at the Vesalius' surviving GINNs.**

"They're loading the D's."

Yzak Joule smirked as the GINNs were armed, "Heh heh, I can't wait to see this."

Nicol Amalfi wasn't as enthusiastic, "Aren't the D-weapons use for taking down fortresses?"

"Heliopolis is getting what's coming to it," Dearka declared. "They pretended to neutral yet they're making mobilesuits for the earth forces."

"Besides," Rusty said as he climbs up his customized GINN. "Thanks to the UN forces, we don't have enough units to take on the colony with normal means."

This took the three other red coats by surprise since Rusty too wasn't keen about attacking the said neutral colony.

"You're unusually enthusiastic over this," Dearka comments. "Mind telling us why?"

"And shouldn't you be in the ward?" Nicol added, seeing him with the wound earlier.

"I'd like to have a little pay back for what happened earlier," He picks the 76mm. sniper rifle. "And I got cleared by the commander, so long's I can stand by myself I can go."

They looked among each other, they knew he was serious. Rusty was the marksman of the Le Creuset team, he was the most accurate shot of the whole group.

"Ain't that right Miguel?" He calls out.

He was answers by a grunt.

"I'll take that as a yes," Rusty chuckled. "So you'll take the Earth forces mobilesuit? Or Aelia?"

"The Earth mobilesuit can do," Miguel answered. "But if we meet Aelia again," He punches the side of the cockpit. "She's mine!"

"Save it for the battle, Miggy." Rusty lines his suit as the Canus and Pardus missile launchers were being attached.

He grunts again, his suit was armed with the M69 "Barrus" heavy particle cannon along with the Canus and Pardus launchers.

"You should really consider it, Miguel." Yzak said with a smirk, "There's no way you're beating Janus, no way in hell."

"Shut up Joule! We all know you two were an item back in the academy!"

Yzak gave him a smug look, "Got a problem with that?"

Miguel glares at him but says nothing.

Rusty clears his throat, "Olor, How 'bout you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." He was armed with similar weaponry as Miguel.

"Okay then, let's get to the catapult."

--

**Athrun frowned when he read the reports of his other teammates**_. _

_Wynn's here too…_

He understood Janus Llewellyn Aelia's reasons, she was with the UN.

_But Kira… why…? Is he being used by the Naturals?_

--

"**Pilot Rusty Mackenzie your unit is clear to launch." The technician called through the radio.**

"Roger that," Rusty replies. "Okay guys, let's go!"

"Miguel Aiman, GINN launching!"

"Olor Koudenburg, GINN launching!"

Rusty takes a deep breath and exhales. "Hope you're worth it commander Legna," He whispers under his breath. "Rusty Mackenzie, GINN launching!"

--

**Inside the Ursa Major, Visch's unit, which was largely intact, was also being equipped with D-weapons.**

"Sir, are you sure?" Marvin Hayes asked his superior, Visch. "She's here?"

"You know Rusty, he wouldn't screw with things like that," He declared. "Remember, don't say a word."

"Yes sir."

Visch sighs as a walks toward his suit which being equipped with the Canus launchers. "What the hell are you doing here Yuki?" He shook his head, "Rau'll flip if he finds out you're here."

_Even though he doesn't know you're also Morrigan Legna._

--

**A/N:** Finally, the G-Zeros did some fighting! And I got some pretty good rivalries to work with.

Okay now for the Gods…

--

**Glossary**

**Siginarugan**- Maharlikan/ the god of hell

**Mandarangan**- the god of War

**Sidapa**- the god of Death

--

Tell me what ya think when you review, thanks!


	5. Phase4: Fate in the collapsing homeland

GS Phase 5

**A/N:** It's time for Heliopolis' swan song and show the other features of the Chimera I didn't use in the last phase. And I cleaned up and edited the earlier chapters. You may want to read those again if something confused you in the earlier versions. And I changed the format style of the Mechhead sections from the wikipedia version to what's being used here.

**Phase 04: Fate in the Collapsing Homeland**

--

"**This is getting us no where fast." **

Antonio said to Murrue and Mu just outside of room Kira and his friends were using.

"He won't do it unless we force him or his friends are at risk."

"The more we press him," Murrue replies. "The more he's going to resist."

"Hey Ant," Mu adds as he leaned against the wall. "Can't you just change the Strike's OS?"

Antonio shook his head, "Even if I could, I got no one to pilot it. None of the UN security pilots are capable of using a coordinator OS."

Murrue looks at him with surprise, "You're using a coordinator OS?"

He nods, "So is Mike. We have to, since the G-units aren't capable of using the EOS OS."

The Equatorial - Orb - Scandinavian or EOS operation system is the standard OS for the UNAAF and the three neutral nations.

Mu looks at him, "You sure you're just a natural?"

Antonio smiles, "Ever since the day I was born. It wasn't easy during the start but I managed to do within two years."

"So," Mu adds. "The Strike's just dead weight unless we can get the kid to pilot it."

"Pretty much."

--

**Down in the hangar**

"I want you to set the Strike with the Sword unit," Miyuki said to Murdoch.

"I think it's the best variation for him right now if Kira decides to join in." She smiles wryly, "He won't blow any more holes into the colony with this."

Murdoch nods, "So that's his name, Kira?"

She nods, "Yes. He's a good kid, he shouldn't give you any problems. By the way, set my ginn with the Launcher if you can. And also…"

**Luke extracts the combat data of the GAT-X105 Strike, what he finds surprises him.**

According to the data, the pilot was almost equivalent to Wynn in abilities and skill. His reaction time was better than most of the Bravo team except for Antonio, Michael, Wynn and Mrs. Kajiura. And his accuracy was way better than the average Special Forces mobilesuit pilot.

_Is that kid really just a high school student?_

Sure he was a coordinator, but even the best Zaft pilots took time to become as good as they are.

He did this on the first time he ever set foot on a mobilesuit.

"Who is this kid?"

"**Attention all units," Michael announced via the Archangel's comlink system.**

"First off, I like to congratulate you all in managing to hold off hostile forces despite being caught unaware. Your current commanding officer, Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire, has decided to authorize all units the use of deadly force. I repeat, we are authorizing the use of deadly force. That is all. And good luck out there."

Murrue notes that everyone in the bridge looked among themselves. This was only the third time in the history of the UNAAF that this order was given in the three years it was formed.

The United Nations Autonomous Armed Forces was formed after the transfer of the UN headquarters from the Atlantic Federation to the Equatorial Union. Facing the threat of liquidation of its assets due to its weakening support in the AF, UN sought support from the remaining member nations. These were the Equatorial Union, the African Community, the Oceanic Union, the then United States of South America and the United Emirates of Orb. The UN found a good backing within EU and in 68CE amidst strong protest from the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations, the UN and its assets transferred its headquarters from New York to the EU's capital in Singapore.

During this time, the Eurasian-Pacific war had just started, the UNAAF was formed to counter the massive weapons build up in two of the three major OMNI-Enforcer nations, East Asia and Eurasia, and to serve as a permanent standing military for the UN.

Until the end of the war and invasion of the USSA, the UNAAF was largely a defensive force without mobilesuits and limited space forces. After these two events, massive reform was done within the UN, its member nations and the UNAAF to deal with the changing politics. Scandinavia, the EU and Oceania ratified a UN treaty that declared equality of coordinators and naturals in human rights, the UNAAF introduced mobilesuits into its forces and the completely revised of their peacekeeper's rules of engagement.

From then on, UNAAF units didn't need authorization from the UN to perform military actions against target groups. They can act on their own accord so long it was justified.

--

**When he enters the hangar, **

Antonio was surprised to find that the Chimera's regular Scarab combat shield was replaced with the Strike's anti-beam shield, it held a 57mm. high energy beam rifle and the Aile pack attached on its back.

"What the hell did you do to my suit?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Miyuki said beside him, her blue eyes looked up the mobilesuit, "The GAT-X013 Chimera has hardpoints for the striker pack system. The Aile pack will give the Chimera extra mobility when it's in the air."

"Remember when you first read about the Chimera?" She continues, "Its concept was maximum firepower and protection with maximum mobility and efficiency."

Antonio nods.

"Though it's a devastating unit by itself, its capabilities are multiplied thanks to the striker packs. I could've told you earlier into the project, but we had to keep it a secret until we completed the tests of the Chimera's own striker packs."

Antonio looks at her, "Its _own_ striker packs?"

She nods, "Yes. Its own striker packs. They're all specially designed for the Chimera, but in theory they can also work with the Strike."

"So that's the reason the Chimera's beamrifles are stored on the back of the hip."

She nods.

"When will we be using the Chimera's packs?"

"When we get to Orb, they were developed in the Palau facility"

"Don't we have any of them with us?"

"Well there's one. But it's still disassembled, it'll take time to get it ready."

"So much for that idea."

"So…" Miyuki began, "Is Kira going to be joining us?"

She then smiled, "He's putting up a fight isn't he?"

He sighs, bearing a lopsided grin.

Miyuki giggles.

"He's always been a stubborn one," She comments, "Where is he now?"

"Crews quarters, we decided to leave him for now."

"Hmmm…" Miyuki thought for moment and then walked toward the hangar exit. "I'll try a crack at him."

"Good luck," Antonio calls out. "You'll need it."

--

"**Hey Frank," Luke called out from the foot of Frank's firefly. **

"You heard the announcement right?"

"Sure did," Frank replied. "Should we up the beamrifles and gunlaunchers back to their normal settings?"

"Might as well," Daniel replied as he was inspecting the linings of his headhunter's legs. "Though we'll have to be more careful in using them."

"Aye," Frank nodded. "We don't want to give the colony more holes now don't we?"

Wynn stood on the maintenance platform of her wyvern, listening to her teammates talk.

"I wonder if Le Creuset is keeping that in mind," Wynn commented to herself.

"I doubt it," Antonio answered as he inspected the new equipment on his suit which was next hers. "This colony is just a hindrance as far as he's concerned."

"You really think they'll…" Wynn didn't want to believe the idea of D-weapons being used.

"To tell you the truth," Antonio responded with a heavy sigh. "I do. As much as I don't want believe it myself."

Wynn nods, leaning against the railing, looking up at her wyvern.

"This must be hard for you."

Wynn shook her head, "This is something I have to face eventually as a peacekeeper. It's inevitable."

"You sure you can fight again out there again?"

She nods, "I'll do my best, because I have to."

"You're a good soldier Llewelyn."

"Thank you sir."

"I want you to buddy up with that kid, Kira, if he decides to joins us. He's definitely going to have a hard time out there."

She looks at him with disbelief, "Sir… You're going to make him pilot the Strike?"

He nodded grimly, "We got no choice, and we need more men to help us to hold the fort out there."

"He's just a civilian sir, he never trained in the military." She knew if Kira went out there again he may have to fight Athrun. "I don't think it's a good idea–"

"I know he's your friend, 2nd Lt. Aelia." He interrupted in a stern tone. "And I understand he's an impressionable young soul and you want protect him. But right now, we have no other options. If he does join us you'll buddy up with him, do I make myself clear?"

Wynn stood straight, "Loud and clear sir."

Antonio then gave her a tired look, "I… I'm sorry Wynn."

She shook her head. "No harm done sir," She answers as her commander as he enters the cockpit of the Chimera.

He nods and disappears from sight.

Wynn sighs, seriously worried for her friend. "Kira…"

--

"**Kajiura-sama," Miriallia greeted when she saw Yuki entered the room.**

Yuki nods with a smile, "Hey guys."

She pulled in a food cart from the galley with her. "I figured you guys were you guys were hungry by now."

Tolle felt his stomach growl, "You're a lifesaver Mrs. Kajiura."

She smiled, "Thanks Tolle. C'mon guys, this one's on me."

As Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey and Miriallia gathered and ate by the cart. Miyuki sat beside Kira, who was now awake.

"Hey sleepy head," Miyuki said. "I heard you were the one who piloted the Strike."

"I was."

"You were pretty good out there." _Considering you're not a trained Zaft pilot, _she added in her thoughts.

"Kajiura-sensei," Kira began. "You're here to try to convince me too aren't you?"

Miyuki didn't make any physical reaction, "Yes."

"I'm not going to change my mind sensei."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course I am, I don't want to fight…"

"You fought off two Zaft pilots just a while ago."

Kira stared at the floor, "That was different."

Yuki looked at him with face of curiosity, "How so?"

"I had to protect my friends."

She smiles slightly, _He's a good kid… Still…_

"So you're just going to look the other way?"

Kira looks at her, "I just don't want to get involve in the war."

"Even if it means letting others die?"

"Sensei…?"

Kira saw a serious look on Miyuki's face as looks forward. "Kira you like to know something?"

Unsure of what so say Kira answers, "Like what?"

"One year ago, I was a Zaft commander assigned in SCICOM."

Kira looks at her in disbelief, "You're…!"

She simply nods.

"Isn't that the group that supposedly developed the N-Jammers?"

She closes her eyes, "Yes."

SCICOM, SCIence COMmand, is a special organization made up of finest thinkers in the Zaft military and in the Plants. It was a brains trust of the finest coordinator minds alive. It helped develop most of the Zaft military's ships, weapons and mobilesuits. It's most notable creation was the Neutron Jammer, the device that crippled the Earth Forces' ability of launching another nuclear attack.

"I felt the same desire to get away as you did back then. So I simply turned my back and ran away. I thought if I'd just disappear into Orb, all of it will just go away."

Miyuki looks at Kira in the eyes, "I was wrong. I lost so much more when I did what I did. I abandoned my friends because I was too afraid to suffer."

"Worst of all," She held her wedding ring, her thumb rubbing against it against the sapphire gem. "I let him down."

"Sensei…" Kira knew what happen to her husband.

"I tried to run away from the war." Miyuki said, she takes off her glasses to rub her eyes. "And to tell you the truth, I'm still running."

There was a silence between them, the sounds from Kira's friends was all that was heard.

Miyuki then stood up.

She places a hand on Kira's shoulder managing to smile. "I'm not trying to give you a guilt trip. If you really don't want to, I'll respect your decision and I'll try talking to the captain and Anton out of it. If you do join in, I'm not guaranteeing it'll just be for one battle. You may have to pilot the Strike until we link up with Earth Alliance forces. Think about it as long as you can, then make you're decision."

He nods.

"But know this, war doesn't discriminate in whose lives it takes away. Sooner or later, you or your friends may have no choice but to get involved."

Miyuki left the room, with Kira not really sure what he should do.

_I want to help but… Athrun… is he really…?_

--

"**Sir, I can't seem to patch a link with Heliopolis." The Agares communications officer announced.**

"The Zaft forces are probably jamming the signal." Jethro finally had enough, "I don't know about you skipper, but I'm requesting to use one of the mobilesuits. I need to get out there."

The brown eye captain looks at him for a moment, "Permission granted."

Jethro salutes, "Thank you ma'am." He quickly makes for the bridge exit.

"However…" Anya added in a commanding voice.

The old sergeant stops and turns around, looking at her.

"However what?" He said with a hint of annoyance.

She gives him a sly smile, "You're not going alone."

She turns her attention to the ship's CIC, "Richards take over. Tell Belmont to get the Tallgeese ready."

Jethro grinned, the blood of a Spartan Eternal still ran I her veins.

Ensign Josef Richards looks at her with concern, "Yes Lady Une. But are you sure? We don't know the extent of the hostile force's strength. You're death would be a serious blow to the kingdom."

She gives Richards an annoyed look.

Capt. Anya Une Samsonov was not only the Spartan of Heaven but she was also a knight of the Order of Amn. She was as celebrated in Scandinavia as much as Antonio was in the EU.

This tends to get her special treatment among her peers, much to her annoyance.

"Richards… Tell Belmont to get the Tallgeese ready NOW."

Richards quickly nods, "Yes sir."

"I'm coming Anton," She whispered to herself. "Just hold them off long enough."

--

"**Anton," Natarle Badgiruel called out as she approached the Chimera's open cockpit.**

"I mean Lt. Colonel, are you in there?"

Antonio looks up from the terminal screen, "Hey Nat, what brings you here?"

She shrugs casually, "Nothing much. I guess I just wanted see you."

He smiles at her, "You sure you're not here to try getting info on these mobilesuits?"

The dark haired woman frowns at him, "Honestly! Can't I talk to you at least once without getting any smart-assed remarks from you?"

He chuckles as he resumes adjusting the parameters in the Chimera's system, "Sorry, force of habit."

Both kept silent for a moment.

"You really think they'll use D-weapons?"

"Miyuki's been in the Zaft military for several years, I assuming she's right."

"Besides," Antonio continued. "I worked with Le Creuset in several counter-terrorist operations a couple of years back. He's got more than enough balls to initiate something like that."

"I see…" Her watch's alarm goes off. She looks at it and smiles as she realizes the time.

"Looks like we won't make it for lunch today."

Antonio laughs, "Yeah, just my luck. When was the last time we went out together again?"

Natarle laughs with him, "Almost half a year I believe. I guess fate just doesn't like us to be together."

Only Antonio could make her smile this much. She always wondered what attracted her to him. Maybe this was it?

She felt secure and content every time she was with him.

Not many others gave her this feeling, and none gave it better than him.

She places her hand on his.

Antonio looks up to find Natarle looking at him in the eyes with a rare, concerned face.

"Stay in one piece, okay?"

Antonio looks her, he places his other hand on top of hers and gives a warm, confident smile.

"You know I will."

--

**Murrue looks at Kira, astonished.**

"Y-you're actually asking to pilot the Strike…?"

He nods, though he still wasn't completely sure of himself.

Mu, who was also caught off balance by Kira's request, asked. "What's with the sudden turn around?"

"War doesn't discriminate," he answered. "I have to protect my friends."

Michael studies him for a moment, "You do realize you're gonna have to follow our orders and do things that are probably not going to be pleasant?"

He nods, "Yes, I realized that."

He looks at Murrue, "Captain?"

With a sigh of relief, she nods. "So long's he's willing."

He nods back, "The Strike's ready anytime. Be sure you're ready."

Kira nods, "Thanks Mi- I mean, thank you Major."

Mike smirks, "Mike is fine, you ain't military anyway."

**As Kira left the bridge, Murrue followed him.**

"Kira-kun," She called out.

He turns around, "Yes?"

"Did someone talk to you about this?"

Kira thrusts his hands into his pockets and looks as though he's staring at the distance.

"Kajiura-sensei talked to me, she hand a strong point to me."

She blinked, "Kajiura-sensei…? You mean Miyuki?"

He nods, "Yes. Weren't the one who sent her?"

--

"**He's what?" Wynn snarled as she grabbed Kojiro Murdoch by the collar.**

"What do you mean 'he volunteered'!"

"That's what I heard from the bridge!" He yelped, surprised in how strong this petite blonde haired coordinator was. "That's all I know!"

She lets go, "I see… sorry." And walks away.

_What the hell are you doing Kira? Don't you know Athrun's out there?_

--

"**Hey Rusty," Olor called out. "Here come the guys from the Gamow."**

"I see them," He sees the three ginns flying parallel to them.

His radar alarm goes off, "Wha–?" He looks behind to see what triggered it.

It was one of the earth forces suits, the Aegis.

"Hey Miggy," Olor called. "Who's piloting that one?"

"That's the one Athrun stole."

Rusty patches a link to the Aegis, "Hey Athrun, is that you? Didn't Ades tell you to let us finish the job?"

"Your part's done Athrun," Miguel said. "We can take it from here.

"I just want to see how powerful that last suit is for myself."

Rusty shrugs, "Don't blame me if you get shot down."

Miguel also shrugs, "Suit yourself Zala."

--

"**Enemy detected!" Chandra announced. "Six ginn– no eleven ginns…"**

"I'm also detecting the Aegis!"

Surprised, everyone in the bridge looked among each other.

**From the cockpit of his mobilesuit, Michael shook his head in disbelief. **

"They're launching something they just captured an hour ago into a sortie?"

"Looks that way," Mu frowned as he informed the second highest officer in the hangar. "You guys better get ready down there."

"Right," Michael sighed in exasperation.

--

"**Go! Go! Go!" **

Outside the UN mobilesuits rush to their positions, everything was scrambled out to defend the colony. The mobilesuits and troops have been prepared for possible space combat. The Heliopolis was on a critical state, the shelters were on alert level nine.

This was pretty much a last stand.

**The battle stations alarm was sounded.**

"Looks like that's our cue," Miyuki ran through the hall leading to the hangar with Kira following.

"Right!" Kira answered.

"**Kira, Kajiura-san" Mir's face appeared onscreen.**

Kira looks at the screen with astonishment, "Mir? What are you…?"

"Mir, why are you in the bridge?" Miyuki was just as surprised.

"From here on in I'm going to be in the CIC. Since you guys are going to be fighting, we figured we should be doing something to help out too."

"Kira," she continued. "You're equipped with the sword striker pack, it's largely a close range combat unit."

"Okay," he replied.

"Kajiura-sama, you're equipped with the Launcher. I guess you don't need to be briefed in what it does."

"Copy," She nods, "And Mir, don't be formal with me, just called me by first name."

"And Lt. Colonel Le Saint Claire, you're equipped with the Aile striker pack. This unit is made for both air and space combat."

He nods, "I copy."

"All mobilesuits, you're clear for launch."

"Good luck you guys!" Mir said as they line themselves on the catapult.

She was answered by a series of grunts, nods and replies.

"I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning," Mike grumbled. "Mjr. Michael Takahashi, Siginarugan takin' off!"

"Quit complaining, you're going to enjoy this anyway." Regina said, "Capt. Regina Alexis Dante, Wyvern One launch!"

"Here we go…" Luke lines up next. "Spc. Lucian Helmsley Lawman, Legionnaire going!"

"Watch yourself out there. Janus Llewelyn Aelia, Wyvern Two launching!"

"And watch your fire. Lt. Daniel Spear, Headhunter moving out!"

"Time for some fun, Sgt. 1st class Franklin Snow, Legionnaire blastin' off!"

"Everybody, Keep the colony in mind. Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire, Chimera launching!"

When Kira's turn came, he took a deep breathe.

"Good luck Kira," Mir said.

"Thanks."

"Kira Yamato, Strike launching!"

Miyuki was about to launch as Murrue's image appeared onscreen. "Yuki-chan, you talked to Kira didn't you?"

"Yup," She answered simply.

"What did tell him?"

"Just some things he should know," She then smiles. "Don't worry, I didn't threaten him or anything."

Murrue smiles, "I see. Arigato kohai."

She shakes her head, "You should thank Kira, not me. He made the decision to fight."

"Watch yourself out there okay?"

Miyuki gives her a wink, "Don't worry, I'm actually good at this."

Murrue smiled, "I noticed."

After Murrue's face disappears from screen, she closes her eyes and takes a deep.

"Okay…Miyuki Kajiura, Strike Ginn launching!"

--

"**Okay, how are we set up?" Antonio patches a link with a UN security commander.**

"Sir, we embedded the Leos in the buildings in and around D-13, we positioned the fireflies on B-17, C-3, D-4 and E-9 with two scorpions and heavies per firefly. And the rest of the scorpions and heavies are stationed near the shelters."

"Okay," He responds. "Get the three Leo IMPACTs positioned in the base of the colony."

This took the commander by surprise. "Sir, you want our boys to board their ships?"

"That's the idea," Antonio replied. "We're gonna bring some of the fight to them. Can we get one of our TAC teams and how fast can we get it done?"

There was a moment of silence before he finally answers, "Unit 44 Echo we'll be ready in four minutes."

The Leos IMPACT (IMmediate Piercing Armored Carrier Transport) types are special mobilesuits designs for rapid space ship boarding. They are specially armored in the front to take the brunt of a forward assault and carry the IMPACT, a long cylindrical piece that holds up to twelve soldiers.

It is forced into the side of a ship, piercing the ship's wall up to 6.5 feet providing a quick insertion. The IMPACT type is armed with standard Leos armaments.

"Copy," Antonio then smiled. "Don't worry I'll be covering them."

--

"**How're those ginns in the Tiberius?" **

The brown haired Captain Samsonov asked as she lines the Tallgeese on the linear rails. Linear catapults were introduced to the UN and the neutral nations by the Plants just before February of 70CE.

"They're ready for combat anytime."

"Are the pilots good?"

"They're coordinators sir."

She nods, "I see."

"Tallgeese you're clear for launch."

"Roger. Capt. Anya Une Samsonov, Tallgeese, launching!"

"Leos you're clear for launch."

"Copy that. Mstr. Sgt. Jethro Lance Mills, Leos, Takin' off!"

--

"**You guys stay near the Archangel and provide support" **

Antonio began, "Mike and I will be outside to keep anymore from coming in."

Regina blinks, "You're gonna take on the Zaft ships? We hardly have enough forces to protect the colony."

Michael smile at her, "Ye of little faith. Don't worry he has a plan… kinda."

"Besides," Antonio added. "We smoked a good number of their units in the last battle. All they have are probably several ginns and the other G-units to protect the ships."

"I'll come with you then," Miyuki replied.

Antonio nods.

"Okay that's enough chatter, let's go."

--

**Back inside Heliopolis**

"Kira, stick with me as much as possible." Wynn called out.

Kira nods, "Right."

As they flew parallel to each other, Wynn couldn't help but look at the Strike

"So who convinced you to join in?" She asked.

"It's Kajiura-sensei," he replied.

"… I see. What did she say?"

"She gave me a very convincing argument."

She smiled. _She's always been good at that._

The two friends kept quiet for a moment.

Wynn took a deep breath, "Kira… Athrun's-"

"I know."

She looks at him with surprise, "You knew…? When?"

"Just before I piloted this mobilesuit for the first time."

Wynn was flabbergasted "And you still joined in?"

He doesn't answer.

"You sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah… I think so."

"You've got guts Kira, I got your back on this."

"Thanks Wynn."

--

"**ST Bravo to all security units," Luke radios out.**

"Assume your positions and protect your respective point. Use deadly force if necessary, I repeat use deadly force if necessary."

"Well," Frank took a deep breath as he, Daniel and Luke stood with their machines on parts of the Archangel. "Her we go."

Daniel lowers the frame of his headhunter. He had replaced his usual sniper rifle with the much powerful and longer ranged 175mm. M70 long range railgun, not an ideal weapon inside a colony in normal circumstances but its necessary, the Barrus heavy particle cannon had a longer range than the Sagittarius sniper rifle.

Along with his usual armament, Frank replaced his MKE16 assault rifle with a 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher. This was to be the first he used it in a colony.

Luke attached a 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod on each shoulder of his scorpion.

"I got word from Charlie, bogeys blasted their way in on point D-15. They're heading straight here!"

"Copy that," Regina replied. "We'll intercept them."

The two wyverns and the Strike boosts off.

--

"**You sir we'll be okay sir?"**

A nervous pilot of one the IMPACT type Leos asked. "We don't have much cover."

"I'm not asking you to take the entire fleet ensign," Antonio replied. "All I need is one ship."

"Y-yes sir."

"Ant," Michael's image appears on screen. "The IMPACTS are loaded, we're good to go."

"Lt. Colonel!" Lt. Ramius' image appears below Antonio's, "Are you crazy sir? There are three Laurasia-classes out there. Even if there are only a few mobilesuits protecting them, they'll still make mince meat out of you!"

"We got no alternative Captain," Antonio answered. "The best ploy I can think of is forcing them to retreat."

"Are you sure they'll respond if you do so?" Natarle, who was just anxious as Murrue, asked.

"They'll have to. For all they know, we maybe reinforcements from the carrier fleet."

Murrue notes the spacesuit was wearing, it was completely colored in a dark navy blue. This wasn't the standard UN pilot's suit which was color in white and light blue. It was like the old Spartan Guard suit in the news reels and clipping she had seen.

"After all," Michael added. "We're the Spartan Eternals, we ain't gonna die so easily."

He said the last part with pride.

"My kind of company," Mu laughed. "Wish I could join you guys."

Murrue sighed, "Just be careful out there."

"Don't worry. I will" Antonio emphasizes a wink through his visor, "I got two pretty ladies to come back to after all." He cuts his connection.

After a moment of silence, Mu laughs loudly, "He never changed, still the flirt I know."

Murrue blushed at Antonio's last remark.

Natarle looks at her with a wry grin, "He's really like that. You'll get used to it."

--

"**Where are you Aelia!" **

Miguel Aiman yells as he barrels his way through the barrage of fire coming from below. "C'mon out you traitor!"

"Miguel…" Rusty shook his head as he followed him.

"Hey Rusty," Olor called out. "Looks like the legged-ship is still near that spot it was last sighted."

"Looks that way," Rusty answers. "Tell the other teams to start looking there too."

"Roger."

**Miguel's sensors detects something, he checks what it was. **

It was the two wyverns.

It was the same type of mobilesuit Janus Aelia was piloting earlier, "Got you!" He charges toward the two mobilesuits.

"**What the hell is that guy thinking?"**

Regina asked as she sees one of the ginns charging at them.

Wynn shrugged, "Probably some overzealous kid fighting for Junius 7."

"Probably- whoa!" Regina narrowly dodges the powerful blast that came at her. "At least he's motivated!"

"Fight me Aelia!" was what Regina heard in the radio as the ginn fires his Barrus again.

"Sorry pal," Regina dodges this one easily. "Wrong wyvern!"

She pulls out her beamrifle and goes at him. "Wynn, this one's mine."

"You can keep him," Wynn grumbled as she fires her beamrifle.

_**That was must be Wynn's.**_

Rusty thought as he closes at the white and blue mobilesuit that was firing its beamrifle.

He fires his left Pardus at it.

"Huh?" Wynn dodges the missile and sees the ginn the shot them. She quickly recognizes the suit. "Rusty…"

--

"**Sir!" One of the CIC operators of the Laurasia-class Gagarin yells.**

"Six enemy mobilesuits are coming at us! Distance 500 meters!"

"What!" The ship's captain frowned, the Gagarin had sent all but one of its remaining mobilesuits. "Why didn't you detected them earlier!"

"Sir! They just showed up in radar!"

"Damn it! Call the other ships for back-up, fire all guns at them!"

"**I'm not picking up any mobilesuits…"**

Michael commented, "We really caught them with their pants down."

Antonio nods, "Let's make the most of it. All units move in!"

--

"**What?" Visch was surprised at what he was hearing.**

"They're attacking the Gagarin?"

"Yes sir," Hayes replied. "Gagarin's requesting reinforcements."

The Donahue team about to launch an attack in Heliopolis when they got the report.

"Damn… Okay, I'm responding to that call, Hayes take over."

--

"**Wynn!"**

Rusty yelled as he and Wynn, traded fire. "Why did the Kajiura leave the Plants?"

"I don't know myself," she replied "She didn't specify why."

"But from what I heard from her, Patrick Zala's got something real nasty in store."

"You have any idea what it is?"

"Only it's horrible enough to force Yuki-sama to leave the Plants."

"I see," Rusty dodges a beam shot. "You've gotten better Wynn."

"Same goes to you Rusty."

Rusty places his rifle on his back and pulls out two Armor Schneider combat knives, "How 'bout for old time's sake?"

Wynn grinned, "You read my mind."

She too pulls out her Wyvern's Armor Schneiders.

They charge at each other and lock blades.

"So, how's Yzak doing anyway?"

--

"**We're through!" The pilot of one of the IMPACTs announced.**

"This was easy." Miyuki commented as she watched the other IMPACTs being driven into the ships hull, "A little too easy."

Antonio smiled, "You hoping for a real battle eh Yuki?"

She shrugs.

She was just like so many in their family, an adrenaline junkie.

Michael sensors go off, "Looks like you just got your wish. Five ginns and two Cgues, comin' our way."

"Let's go greet them then." Miyuki charges off.

"Hey, that's my line," Michael followed.

"Don't get cocky you two." Antonio said. "You'll just trip yourselves up."

One of the ginns fires its Barrus at the Chimera. Antonio looks at his gauge and calculates for moment.

_It's more than enough, good thing I decided not to change the Chimera's battery._

He removes the safety cap of one button and pushes it, "Activating Rommel Panzer."

Several compartments of the Chimera opened, they begin emitting a strange aura around it. As the Barrus beam was about to hit the Chimera, the aura seemed to absorb it into itself, causing no damage.

The Chimera's battery gauge increases by one bar.

"Thanks for the charge pal." Antonio comment as he pulls out the Chimera's two M172D "Bathala" 175mm. high power beamrifles, merging them together side by side to form a 350 mm. beam canon and fires. The blast hits the ginn squarely in cockpit area.

Michael fought the four remaining ginns. Using the same scare tactics as while ago.

While Antonio fought with a Cgue, he quickly realizes that Rau Le Creuset was the pilot.

"Well, well…" Rau laughed, "Fancy meeting you here, Antonio Le Saint Claire."

"Hello Rau," Antonio fires his beamrifles at him. "Still the same narcissist from two years ago I see."

Rau dodges the blasts, "So you're the commander of the UN forces. No wonder Heliopolis was proving to be a tough egg to crack."

"Thank you for the compliment… now pull your forces out Le Creuset."

"I'm afraid that's not possible Antonio." Rau fires his machinegun at the Chimera, which deflect harmlessly off it.

"You should know by now that machinegun rounds won't work on my mobilesuit's armor right?"

"Then how about this!" Rau pulls out a beamrifle and fires.

The aura of the Rommel Panzer activates and renders the attack useless. "That's strike two."

"And here's three," Antonio then pushes another capped button. "Activating mirage colloid."

--

**Yuki fought the other Cgue. **

She knew who was in it just by the red and black color, "Visch…"

The Cgue pulls out its swords, Miyuki's ginn mimics it.

"Hello Miyuki." He radioed to her as they fought. "It's been a while."

"…It has," Miyuki responded, "Hasn't it?"

Their blades clashed as the two mobilesuits moved with deadly grace and precision.

When they dodge each other's attack, it was by mere inches.

Visch switches dawn to an underhand position and swings upwards.

Miyuki blocks the attack with Be-day, as she does so, thrusts Chaya toward Visch's.

He dodges by turning the body of his suit.

They exchange blows while they subtlety move away from the mobilesuits, making sure no one followed them. Both mobilesuits stopped and distanced away as they faced each other.

Visch opens his cockpit, Yuki does the same.

The two former members of the Swords of Zodiac faced each other.

"Why Yuki? Why did you disappear?"

"I can't tell you right Visch, you'll just get yourself killed."

"Are you insulting me Yuki? I-"

"That is nothing like a simple problem of depression Visch!" Miyuki snapped. "It's more than that…"

--

"**What!" Rau yelled as the Chimera suddenly appeared in front of him.**

With the Mandarangan, Antonio cuts off both arms.

"Game over Rau," the Chimera winds up for a might swing.

But was interrupted by blast of beam energy that struck the Chimera on the leg, damaging it a little, giving Rau the opening to escape.

"We'll meet again, Le Saint Claire!"

"Be more of a challenge next time!" Antonio retorted.

Antonio was about to take care of ginns he realized they have been already taken out.

"What the-?"

"Are we too late for the party?" Jethro's and Anya's images appeared.

"Top! Une!" Antonio exclaimed with surprise. "Nice to see you guys. Where's the fleet?"

The Tallgeese, Jethro's Leos and three UN ginns approached him

"Just about a kilometer from here," Anya replied.

"Good, we could use some help getting the Archangel out of the colony."

Une looks at him perplexed, "The Archangel? Isn't that the Earth Forces' new ship?"

"I'll explain later right now I need you to-"

"Ant!" Michael yelled frantically, "Ant, the colony shaft's been disconnected!"

Antonio scowled, "What! Is Heliopolis-?"

"Yeah…" Michael said helplessly. "…It's falling apart."

--

**A/N:** Yes, that's Lady Une from the Wing series. Please R & R.

--

**Glossary:**

**Top**- Top Sergeant, military slang to mainly master sergeants and first sergeants


	6. Mechhead part 2

**Chimera Gundam  
**  
**Model number:** GAT-X013  
**Code name:** Chimera  
**Unit type:** prototype all-purpose special forces multi-mode mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Morgenroete, Inc. / Hardwellton Military Industries  
**Operator(s):** UN Autonomous Armed Forces

**Pilot(s):** Antonio Le Saint Claire**  
First deployment:** January 25, C.E. 71  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 17.80 meters – headheight/ 14.30 meters – spider/ 12.20 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 107.3 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 15, 70 C.E.

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) armor; hardpoints for striker packs; Rommel panzer energy absorbing armor; HM (High Mobility) Leg unit XM4 "Journeyman"

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x Extendable pincer locks "Dragon fangs", mounted on side of forearms

1 x Heavy combat glaive "Mandarangan", stored in two pieces in hips

2 x M172D "Bathala" 175mm. high power beamrifle, stored on the back of hips

2 x "Igelstellung" 75 mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x M251A2 88mm. short range plasma launcher, mounted in hand

4 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

1 x Scarab close combat shield, docked on left arm

2 x Beamsaber, stored in hips

**Armament dock modes:** 350mm. high power beamcanon (with both beamrifles docked together side by side)

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x AQM/E-X01 Aile Striker

1 x AQM/E-X02 Sword Striker

1 x AQM/E-X03 Launcher Striker

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle

1 x M19 175mm. beamrifle

4 x MB2 explosive charge

**A/N:** This suit is based on several different Gundams and some has reference from my Armored Core and Front Mission experience. I decided to keep the Chimera's own packs a secret for story reasons.

**Siginarugan Gundam  
**  
**Model number:** GAT-X014  
**Code name:** Siginarugan

**Unit type:** Prototype high performance close combat mobilesuit

**Manufacturer:** Morgenroete, Inc. / United Arms, Inc

**Operator(s):** UN Autonomous Armed Forces

**Pilot(s):** Michael Takahashi**  
First deployment:** January 25, C.E. 71   
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 17.40 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 78.50 metric tons

**Construction:** Aug 20, 70 C.E.

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery  
**Equipment and design features:** Phase Shift (PS) armor; Mirage Colloid, RHEA system, RDU-04 Radar detection attachment, RJU-07 Radar jammer unit

**Fixed armaments:**

1 x "Sidapa" dual bladed double beam scythe, stored in two pieces in the hips

2 x "Igelstellung" 75 mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted on side of chest

2 x beamsaber, stored in the hips

1 x Buster assault shield plus grappling harpoon, docked on the left arm

1 x M20 200mm. beamcanon,

1 x M6A2 300mm. flaklauncher attachment

2 x "Armor Jaeger" combat blade, mounted on side of forearms

**Armament dock modes:** dual bladed Kama x 2 (Sidapa can split in the middle)

**Optional Armaments: **

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle

1 x M12 175mm. long-range linear rifle

1 x CWG-BZ-50 250mm. Bazooka

4 x MB2 explosive charge

**A/N: **Like the Chimera, this is based in several Gundams, (one of them is the Deathscythe Hell obviously.) And for those who're wondering, the wings aren't like the Deathscythe's, they're more organic looking like those of the Wing, the first one and Wing Zero during the series.

ZGMF-1017 GINN Miyuki Kajiura "Strike GINN" Custom

**Model number:** ZGMF-1017  
**Code name:** Strike Ginn

**Unit type:** custom general purpose mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Morgenroete, Inc  
**Operator(s):** Miyuki Kajiura

**Pilot(s):** Miyuki Kajiura**  
First deployment:** 25 January C.E. 71   
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** Unknown

**Weight:** Unknown

**Construction:** Unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery  
**Equipment and design features: **hardpoints for striker packs

**Fixed armaments:**

1 x "Chaya" katana, stored on the left hip in sheathe

1 x "Beday" wakizashi, stored on the right hip in sheathe

**Optional armament:**

1 x AQM/E-X01 Aile Striker

1 x AQM/E-X02 Sword Striker

1 x AQM/E-X03 Launcher Striker

1 x CWG-BZ-50 250mm. Bazooka

1 x SRM4 "Sagittarius" 94mm. sniper rifle

1 x Ghazi combat shield

1 x Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

**A/N:** It doesn't have the large crest of a regular ginn. While it is not using the Striker packs, it's equipped with a high mobility sub-flight pack. It kinda resembles the Un No custom.

**ZGMF-1017 GINN Rusty Mackenzie Custom**  
**Model number:** ZGMF-1017  
**Code name:** Ginn  
**Unit type:** custom high mobility mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Maius Military Industries/Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty  
**Operator(s):** Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty

**Pilot(s):** Rusty Mackenzie**  
First deployment:** Unknown  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 21.43 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 78.5 metric tons

**Construction:** Unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Fixed armaments:**

2 x "Armor Schneider" combat knives, stored in hip

1 x 76mm sniper rifle, stored on back

1 x M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle, mounted on shoulder

**Optional Armaments:**

2 x M66 "Canus" short range guided missile launcher

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher

1 x M69 "Barrus" heavy particle cannon

**A/N:** I didn't want to have Rusty pilot a plain ginn so I created this. This is based on the Gai Murakumo custom. It's colored navy blue.

**MMU-01F Leos IMPACT type**

**  
Model number:** MMU-01F  
**Code name:** Leos IMPACT

**Unit type:** mass produced land and space mobilesuit

**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau. / Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union (limited), United Nations Autonomous Armed Forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot

**First deployment:** Oct 7, 70CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.20 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 62.94 metric tons

**Construction:** June 4, 68 C.E.

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **CBT-01 Orbital flightpack, EE20 Aerial maneuver pack, IMPACT (IMmediate Piercing Armored Carrier Transport) ship boarding equipment

**Fixed armaments:**

1 x MMG68 120mm. multibarrel heavy machinegun, stored on back

1 x HS-02 combat shield, docked on left arm

1 x M1 heavy sword, stored on back

2 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS, mounted on shoulders

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x CWG-BZ-50 250mm. Bazooka,

2 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod,

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher,

1 x M19 175mm. beamrifle,

4 x MB2 explosive charge,

1 x SRM4 "Sagittarius" 94mm. sniper rifle,

**A/N: **This is actually an old idea I picked up in some collections of old MS Gundam designs from a Japanese Otaku friend of mine. It was supposed to be a Zaku armed with the Impact equipment. It was called back then a "Force wedge." This was supposed to attack the earth federation forces during the battle of Solomon just before the Big Zam was to attack but for some reason the animators decided to drop the idea.


	7. Phase5: Deception

GS Phase 6

**A/N:** Okay basically I squeezed the episodes Silent Run and Phase shift down together to make up for the extra chapters.

**Phase 05: Deception**

--

**Miyuki eyes widened in disbelief, "No…"**

She watched helplessly as Heliopolis began to disintegrate.

Visch's reaction was no better, wincing as the colony was slowly disappear.

"Damn it…!"

It was Junius Seven all over again.

Her radio was flooded with panicked and confused voices, just exactly what she heard in February of 70ce.

As Morrigan Legna, her masked alter ego.

Miyuki Kajiura was officially in Januarius Four doing routine inspection of January city's defenses.

She, as Legna, happened to be in command of a small three man mobile suit unit at the time.

She witnessed first hand the destruction of Junius Seven.

And the deaths of 243,721coordinators and about 1,469 naturals, the later information was suppressed by the censorship to encourage volunteers to the military, though it would have made the Earth Alliance monstrous, killing their own people to get at the 'evil' coordinators.

The number included the crews of an Earth Alliance Nelson-class and two Drake classes that accompanied Darren to what was supposed to be a peace conference.

Not more than a few weeks later she was the commander of a fleet doing patrol near Larange Point 4 when they stumbled across a large sparsely defended fleet.

And the rest is history.

Though the Zaft high command saw the destruction of the fleet as a successful action, the Plants and most field soldiers, especially her fellow veterans from the Eurasian-Pacific war were appalled.

The Swords of Zodiac was disbanded after the high counsel's inquiry into the matter.

Its members adapted quickly to this development.

Visch and Lenneth Carrington, the unofficial co-commanders of the unit both easily formed new units.

Miyuki, the other co-commander and Christine Maria Lightfellow were recommended to SCICOM because of their excellent technical skills and for their successes and innovations in different mobilesuit projects.

Eileen Canaver who had retired the year before from the military to enter politics was largely unscaved by the action though she had defended her former teammates during the inquiry.

Younger members like Janus Llewelyn Aelia, Rusty Mackenzie, Kazuma Genkaku, Marvin Hayes and Belenus Maxwell were reassigned to other units. While others like Leona Gransiere and the masked pilot simply known by most as Grey were assigned to Special Forces.

**With a cry of frustration and anger Miyuki punches the side the cockpit's entrance.**

"Yuki…" Visch said, "What's the reason why you left? Was it… this?"

The fist Miyuki used to punch the side remained in its place. She looks down at the grate of the cockpit door.

Tears began to form in her eyes though she tried her best not to cry.

"In a way… yeah…"

"But that didn't set it off, did it?"

She kept silent, not really sure what to say.

"No… It's… GENESIS…"

Visch stared at her perplexed, "The interstellar propulsion engine concept?"

Miyuki smiles sadly at him, "It's not a concept anymore Visch. And it wasn't created for interstellar travel."

He frowns. Though it didn't show, Visch was actually knowledgeable of the different projects happening in the Plants and the technologies behind them.

"Christ…" he muttered, "When was it initiated?"

Miyuki looked away, "Exactly a month after Valentine, its way ahead of schedule. Thanks to me."

Visch groaned, Miyuki was very intelligent and resourceful as a scientist, he knew she probably had made modifications to the design to make it more efficient, and more likely to destroy the targets given to it.

"How long before it would be finished?"

"Not too long. At least half a year more, maybe even less."

"Why did you lead project in the first place?"

"Revenge," she answered simply. "I wanted to make those Alliance bastards pay for what they done."

"By helping to create a weapon of mass-destruction?"

"I was obsessed after what happened back then, I wanted revenge so badly. I didn't think of the long term results of my actions."

"Why didn't tell anyone of us?" Visch yelled angrily.

"I didn't want you guys to get involved," Miyuki yelled back.

Her will not to cry finally gave way, "I- I didn't want to lose someone else."

"Yuki…" Visch pushes himself away from his mobilesuit and towards Miyuki's. He floats toward not caring that she was now on the side of his enemy.

As his feet touch on the GINN's door, he reaches out to Miyuki.

"Donahue…?" Miyuki said in surprise as the one-eyed red coat held her close.

"Even if I didn't knew, do you think I'd let you suffer through this alone?"

"But-"

"It doesn't matter if we're going up against Patrick Zala or the entire counsel, you've been through enough. I backing you up on this one and I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Visch… you stubborn moron…" She held him as tightly as she could.

Miyuki began to sob softly. "Thank you…"

"It's okay Yuki," Visch said as he held her. "Let it all out, just let it all out."

--

**Amidst the chaos of the colony, mobilesuits still continue to fight.**

Wynn continues to engage Rusty's mobilesuit at the corner of his eye notices the Strike was facing the Aegis.

"Kira… Athrun…" She mutters as she dodges Rusty's armor Schneiders.

Though she dreaded the sight, she was thankful when she realized they weren't fighting each other.

_They're probably talking to each other…_

**Lt. Daniel Spear aims his 175mm. M70 long range railgun at a distant GINN. **

He fires, hitting it at the cockpit area. Daniel fires a second shot as soon as the shell from the first ejected, hitting another GINN which was next to the first. He knew the colony was finished, but also knew if he stopped now, he was good as dead.

Frank and Luke fired at the stray pieces of debris that approached the Archangel as well as enemy forces.

--

"**Kira look out!" Wynn yelled as she saw Miguel's GINN firing his Barrus at him.**

"Damn it!" It was too late to evade, so Kira braces for the impact.

"Kira!" Both Athrun and Wynn yelled as the Strike disappears in the explosion that follows.

When Kira opens his eyes, he was surprised to find that the Strike was undamaged.

The reason was largely the Wyvern with a wrecked Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" shield.

"You should pay attention to your surroundings more kid." Regina told the young pilot, "You'll live longer."

Miguel got more agitated when he realized what happened, "Stop interfering!"

"You're ain't gonna live long either with that attitude kid." Regina taunted.

"Shut up!" Miguel repeatedly fires his Barrus.

Regina discards her now useless shield and pulls out her beamrifle. She strafes away from the Strike drawing the enemy fire away.

"Kid, keep fighting! Even if the colony's gone we still have the shelters, the Archangel and your friends to protect!"

Kira, still a little unsure of himself, nods. "R-right!"

He then joins in with Wynn in fighting Rusty's customized GINN. He looks back, where Athrun was, he had already left.

"Athrun…"

**Regina clicked her tongue as she realizes she's being ganged up on.**

Miguel's GINN continues firing at her as two others attacked with their swords.

"Shit!" She gritted her teeth as she narrowly dodges all three's attacks.

Seeing his opportunity, Miguel orders the two other GINNs.

"Olor! Matthew! Just keep pushing her, I'll take her out with one shot!"

Olor and Matthew began attacking more aggressively, Regina eventually focuses on fighting them letting Miguel get behind her.

"Damn it!" She cursed as she realized where the other GINN was.

Miguel smirked, "Got you!"

But before he could pull the trigger, Wynn charges at him and cuts the weapon in half with her beam saber.

Olor and Matthew try to finish the job but both were quickly taken down.

Olor had fallen victim to the Strike's Midas Messer beam boomerang as it severed his GINN in half by the cockpit before it explodes

Matthew was killed by long range shot by Daniel who was on top of the Archangel a good 1500 meters from them.

Dan lowers his headhunter's weapon, "Not on my watch you don't."

"Olor! Matthew!" Miguel yelled, "Damn you!"

He tries to pull out his sword. But Wynn once again disables his GINN by cutting both arms.

She pulls the blade close to the cockpit, "Get out of here Aiman. Or I'll have to kill you too."

"What's the matter Aelia?" Miguel sneered, "Don't have the nerve?"

Wynn glares the arrogant pilot's suit, "Don't get me wrong Aiman, I have no problem killing you. It's just I'd hate to see your mother cry because of you."

Miguel glares back, "I promise I'll get you for this Aelia." He then boosts away.

"I'll be waiting." Wynn replies calmly.

"Thanks guys," Regina radios to her three saviors. "I owe each one of you."

"No problem," Both Wynn and Daniel replied.

"Don't mention it," Kira said. "It's also our job looking out for each other right?"

He manages to smile, though he was shakened that he had just killed several people.

Regina smiles back, "You're catching on pretty well kid."

--

**Miyuki looked at Visch. **

"So what will you do now? You could always come with me but there'll be a chance they start interrogating the others if you do."

Visch thought for a moment, "I think its best that I'll stay in the Plants."

"I see…" She looks away, "You're going to try stop GENESIS aren't you?"

"Weren't you?" Visch asked.

"The whole point of me disappearing was so that it would impossible for GENESIS to move on."

Miyuki looks at him, "I took with me the data of the blueprints of GENESIS' firing system."

Visch looked at her, "What would that do?"

"Currently GENESIS can only fire one shot at a time, this is because the external mirror that focuses the beam is destroyed and has to be changed after each shot. This of course leaves GENESIS vulnerable, the data I have would eliminate the need for an external lens and enabling it to fire more rapidly and require less energy to fire a powerful burst."

"However," Miyuki sighs. "Grey told me that Patrick has been making multiple external lenses."

"And now that ZAFT has four G-units, Patrick will put two and two together and use the technology in those suits."

"Like what?"

"He can use Phase shift armor and Mirage Colloid to protect it." Miyuki explains what the two Earth alliance technologies were.

Visch shook his head, "You gotta be kidding me, so PS armor is impervious to any attack except beam weaponry?"

"On a mobilesuit it would last long enough to take out any adversary. But I'd be guessing Zala will probably place several layers of it, so even beam weapons will just scratch it."

"And Mirage Colloid would make it invisible?"

She simply nodded.

Visch sigh with exasperation, "So you'll think they'll push through with it even without the firing mechanism?"

"Patrick Zala has changed ever since he lost his wife, and it's not for the better. He'll push through with it no matter what happens if he could help it. Even if means killing anyone who's in his way."

She looked down at the cockpit grate, "Before I decided to leave, I tried to talk him out it…"

--

**September 8****th**** 70CE, Patrick Zala's study, Zala residence, December City**

Patrick Zala's eyes narrow at the white uniformed officer in front of him.

"We are so close…" He began. "We are so close."

"We are so close to finally ending this war, and you're suggesting we stop the project?" His voice thundered so loudly that Miyuki instinctively closes her eyes for one moment.

"All due respect Chairman Zala, but this is wrong, you and I both know that." Miyuki answered, "Not only is it wrong but completely unethical."

"Was it ethical when the Earth forces attacked us without warning?" Patrick's voice boomed. "Was it ethical when they used a nuclear weapon to destroy Junius Seven?"

"I understand how you feel chairman, but this pushing it too far. The Plants will never accept what you're planning–"

"I will make them accept it!" He snapped, "I will do whatever it takes… whatever it takes to win."

"How could you possibly go on with this? Isn't the Ides of March enough? The casualties inflicted to the Earth forces enough? Aren't the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families enough?"

Miyuki shook her head furiously.

"How could you do this…? GENESIS is unnecessary, our current forces are more than enough—"

"Enough?" Patrick responded with a calm but dark voice. "You call a bloody stalemate enough? What good is our power if we just throw it away? With GENESIS we can put this war to a definite end and show–"

"Why don't just cut the bullshit Patrick?" Miyuki had enough of the defense chairman's speeches. "Why don't you tell me you want to wipe out all Naturals?"

Patrick Zala looks at her, his and her eyes lock together, both refusing to look away.

"Why don't you just tell me you're doing this revenge? Because that's all that is to it for you isn't it?"

The chairman keeps silent.

"I understand you feel Chairman Zala, but…" She shook her head. "Revenge does not justify the losses we suffered, which may I remind you will be four times the casualties we have suffered from Bloody Valentine by the end of this month."

"This is more the reason we should complete GENESIS!" Zala yelled,

Miyuki slams her hands on the desk Patrick sat behind, "I did not join ZAFT to attack civilians!" She yelled back as looked down at them, "I did not side with you and the Radicals to conduct genocide!"

She braces herself for the angry reply she expected. However to her surprise, she instead hears him chuckle.

Puzzled, she looks up to find defense chairman Patrick Zala bearing a sinister smirk.

"Did I hear right? You said you did not join my side to conduct genocide?"

Patrick laughs again, "W-what do you call that little incident from six months ago?"

"Th-that was different…" She answered but she knew she had trapped herself with her own words.

"Oh? In what way?" Patrick said calmly, "You and several other members of your team destroyed an entire civilian fleet. Isn't that what is considered as genocide?"

Miyuki didn't answer.

"You lost your husband in Junius Seven didn't you, Miyuki?" Patrick asks.

She simply nods absently at first, but looks up when realizes something using her name.

What she saw surprised her, Patrick's eyes were not the beady, obsessed one she saw a moment ago. They were replaced by soft gentle eyes, eyes she never seen since seven months ago… before that Valentines Day.

**Patrick Zala and Miyuki Kajiura were actually quite good friends.**

They first met back in 61 CE when 15 year old Miyuki was just finishing her freshman year in the PLANT's academy. Patrick back then was a part-time history instructor and lecturer. He was happily married to Lenore Zala for twelve years and they had a six year old son.

Their relationship started innocently enough as a teacher- student type of affair, things started to turn a little more complicated when Miyuki entered her third year, the same year Patrick decided to enter politics.

By then, she and Patrick found themselves being more than just friends.

They had fallen in love.

They kept this of course a secret for obvious reasons. Miyuki would've been expelled from the academy and Patrick would've ruined his political career and most definitely upset Lenore. They kept it well.

The affair had only become slightly apparent three years later when Lenore suspected her husband. Interestingly enough, when she confronted Miyuki because of this the two women almost immediately became friends despite the fact Miyuki was seeing Lenore's husband.

What was more amazing was that Lenore approved of Miyuki and permitted her husband to continue seeing her.

They finally ended the affair in 68CE when Patrick was running for representative of December City, knowing it was for the best.

Despite the break-up they remained quite close.

**Patrick stood up and went directly in from of her, placing his hands in front o f her shoulders.**

"You were there by my side when I lost Lenore," He began. "You comforted me even though you have lost important to you."

She places her hands Patrick's, looking at him as though she was mesmerized by him.

"You understood what I felt," he continued. "You understood my pain."

Miyuki gasps when Patrick suddenly pulls her close causing their lips to meet.

They remained this way for several moments then Patrick pulls away.

The young brunette simply stared at the much older man, strongly taken aback by his actions. She her heart race, as old longings and desires came rushing to the surface.

"I chose you over the other officers for this task not because I know you can succeed…"

As she listened to what Patrick said, everything in inside her; her emotions, heart, mind and even her very soul was in conflict.

Patrick held a hand behind her head, letting it run down her hair, "…but because I trust you."

Even when she had Darren and when Patrick had Lenore.

"Together we can guide our people, the Coordinators…"

Even when she tried to deny it herself.

"…to a bright and happy future."

But she knew.

"Together…"

She knew that her feelings for Patrick…

"…we can make things possible."

…have never changed. She still loved him. And she he still loved her.

_--_

_I did still love Darren…_

… _And I know Patrick still loves Lenore…_

…_but we have this bond… _

…_or maybe just a desire for each other…_

…_To tell you the truth…_

…_I would do anything for him…_

--

"Just say it me you will do it…"

--

_But…deep down I know what he wants me to do is wrong._

_I feel his pain every time he rants against Naturals._

_But no amount of suffering can justify what he is planning to do._

--

"…do for me, Yuki." Patrick closes in for another kiss

"I… I…" She closes her hands, balling them to fists.

She forcefully pushes away from him. "Patrick. I can't."

Patrick froze for a moment, his jaw speechlessly hung. "W-what…? Why…?"

Miyuki looks down to the floor, "Patrick… why are you doing this? You parents were naturals weren't they? They gave to you as who you are, you said it yourself they've treated for well…"

Patrick looked away. "That was only because they were concerned of their image, coordinator children back then was popular among the rich."

He scoffed, "I was nothing but a designer baby to them to improve their status."

Miyuki held her hands to mouth and backed against, keeping widened eyes on him.

"How can you say that… to your own parents…"

The ugly side of Patrick had returned with even darker. His gentle eyes were gone, replace with ones that were blazing with almost insane obsession.

He lunges at Miyuki, grabbing her tightly by shoulders.

She screamed in fear.

"Naturals are nothing but an appendix to the future humanity! They have no purpose in the future of humanity!" He yelled. "They pull us down because we are superior to them! Why can't you understand that Yuki!"

"Patrick, stop it! You're hurting me!"

"Then say yes, that's all I'm asking! Say yes!"

Miyuki looks at Patrick Zala with tearful eyes. Junius Seven had changed him.

Even Lenore wouldn't have recognized him, he now a man possessed. Possessed and blinded by his incredible hate.

"What would've Lenore say if saw you right now?" She yelled, desperate to say anything to make him stop.

Which he did, he backs away. "What did you say…?"

"What would Lenore say if she saw you right now?" She summons all the courage she had left to much herself look angry, "Do you think she would be proud of what you're doing."

He scowls at her, but she notices he was backing away. "Don't you dare say that…"

"What about your son?" She decides walk toward him. "I wonder what he would of you when he realizes what you are planning."

"Stop it…"

"Lenore would've wanted this to end peacefully Patrick. You know that."

Patrick covers his ears, shaking his head violently. "That's not true! You're lying…!"

"Who between us do you think is really lying to himself Patrick? It doesn't have to go this way."

"Shut up! Shut up!" He shouts grew louder.

"I'm trying to help you Patrick!" She holds him on his shoulders. "Please let help yo–"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

The defense chairman slaps the twenty-five year old officer hard, sending her glasses flying to the corner of the room as fell.

Dazed, Miyuki attempts to get up, holding her bruised cheek. She hears the cock of a handgun and sooner as she looks up, she finds herself looking in the barrel of a silver plated .40 cal PK12 Luger.

"Now say it Yuki," He said, having the gun trained at her.

Miyuki looks away with a sad smile, "So that's your answer is it? Hmph, at least you're still stubborn as you used to be."

"Just say it!"

"I'm sorry Patrick but I can't."

He pulls the hammer, "Why!"

She lowers her head as she laughs at the question, at her situation, at herself.

_How pathetic._

"Why you ask?" She slowly stood up, Patrick still having the gun aimed at her.

"For starters, you shouldn't trust me so much Patrick because in truth, I'm probably one of the biggest moderates among all coordinators in the Plants."

Patrick blinked, "You… You were working with…!"

She shook her head, "No not like that. You see, my husband… he was a natural."

His eye widened, "W-what…!"

"It's true, if you check it yourself. You'll find that Darren was a natural."

Miyuki looks at him indifferently, ignoring the gun. "And there's one thing should about me Patrick. I'm just like you, I'm a first generation coordinator."

"No that can't be!" The color in Patrick's face drained as this information was revealed, "That means your parents are!"

"Yes," she confirms. "They're naturals."

--

_I never told about Darren or my parents' genetic type to him. Even before February 14 70CE, Patrick already had a disdain for naturals. I was afraid. I was afraid he would stop caring for me…_

--

"I grew up with naturals, Chairman Zala. I know there are those who hate us for what we are but there also plenty of those who accept and care less of what gene type we are. That is the reason why I cannot continue serving your purposes. You shall receive my letter of resignation this afternoon. Good day sir."

With that, Miyuki makes her way to the door.

Patrick aims the gun at me, "Who said you can leave?"

Miyuki stops and looks over her shoulder with a cold glare, "What are gonna to do? Shoot me? Go ahead, I'd like to see you try and explain that to the media with this bruise on my face. Especially with the elections so close."

Patrick winced, he knew she was right.

As Miyuki steps out of the study, she hears the chairman. "Commander Kajiura! Come back here! I'm not done with you!"

She quickly runs down hallway to the stairs to the first floor and straight to the front door.

She held back any tears she had left refusing to shed them for that man. The shouts continued as she left. She ran faster, fearing that heart would make her turn back.

When she made it to her car, she hears her name called out one last time.

"Miyuki!" It was desperate, lonely, and maybe even afraid.

She froze, she slowly turns around towards the once happy residence of the Zalas, now just a worn out shell of itself. She wanted to help him, but there's nothing she can do.

Her knees gave way, as she broke down, finally crying for the man whose pain she felt. The man she once knew. The man she once loved.

--

"**I should have tried harder…maybe I could have…" **

Miyuki's voice trailed off.

Visch looks and then places his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll try and see if I can at least slow GENESIS down. I doubt the Clynes are supporting whatever Zala's planning, maybe we can get support from them."

Miyuki nods, "Just don't say anything about me yet. I was a Radical supporter remember? They may get suspicious of you."

"But they'll ask me where I got my information. And odds are Eileen will figure it out if I don't tell them straight."

She sighs, "Fine. Tell Eileen first, watch your back, Patrick has eyes on every member of the moderates."

"Does Siegel actually have any idea on what Patrick is planning?"

Miyuki shook her head, "Doubt it. For all he knows, GENESIS is still the nuclear propulsion project. I was the one who negotiated for the approval, I pretty much sold it to him."

He nods back, "Right. Now the problem is even if I tell Doug about this, I can't get back to the Plants 'cause we're stuck under Rau."

He looks at Miyuki thoughtfully, "Unless of course you could do what I'm thinking."

"Let me guess… Cripple your ship in battle?"

"Bingo."

Miyuki thought for a moment and answered, "Fine. Just get the men in the engine room and the lower deck out of the way."

"Right."

"Do you think Douglas will go along with this?"

"He hasn't reported about you yet from what I know."

"I see, I'll try talking to Anton about-"

The beep of Visch's helmet communicator went off, he responds to it.

"Donahue here, what is it?"

"Sir," It was Marvin Hayes. "Sir, we've ordered to pull back! Several more mobilesuits are attacking the Gamow and Armstrong."

"What!" Visch frowned, "I'm still fighting near the Gagarin, you'll have to take care of on your own."

"Sir?" Hayes voice was confused. "Haven't you heard? The Gagarin has been captured."

Visch blinked, "Has it?"

"Yes, about six minutes ago."

"Damn… meet me at the Armstrong then."

Visch shook his head as he cuts off communication, "Your cousin sure doesn't waste his time."

Miyuki smirked, "Goes to show that naturals are more capable than what most coordinators give them credit for."

"And he's the Spartan of Waves for God sake," Visch said wryly.

Miyuki enters her mobilesuit to get something, she hands it to Visch along with a piece of paper.

"Here, give this to Grey when you return to the Plants. Just call him with the number on the paper."

"Grey never left the Plants?"

Miyuki nods, "He's been my eyes and ears in the Plants."

"I guess that settles it then," He then pushes himself away from Miyuki's GINN towards his.

He points at with his index finger like a gun. "I'll see you later then."

He mouths 'bang' as his hand lifts slightly to signify recoil.

Miyuki nods, smiling "Keep yourself safe out there."

--

"**Sir, I'm detecting massive interference coming from our aft port side." One of the crewmen of the Vesalius announced.**

Ades looks at him with surprise, "What?" He yelled, "Can confirm what it is?"

"From what I can tell, it looks like an advanced fleet of Earth forces ships."

"Impossible!" Ades said, "There wasn't supposed to be an alliance fleet for miles!"

"It may be a UN fleet," Rau said.

"But their closest fleet from here is the UN 2nd Carrier fleet and they were supposed to be at Larange 3."

"Commander Ades, do you forget that the UN space fleet is renowned for its mobility? They've shown that in more than one occasion."

He rubbed his chin, "The Spartan of Waves and the Hawk of Endymion… how unexpected. We may just have a problem in our hands."

"Ades," Rau then said. "Recall our forces, even we coordinators cannot succeed in the shape we're in."

"Yes sir."

--

**The UN carrier group arrives to the devastation of what was once Heliopolis, now nothing more than a shattered shell of space debris.**

Recovering from their shock, the captains of the different ships immediately began launching rescue units of Mistrals, GINNs and Leos to assist the units already attempting to recover the lifepods.

"Well," Michael reported to the Archangel via comlink. "It's not as bad as I thought it was. There are no loses in the civilian shelters, we have a lot of wounded on UN, Earth Alliance and Orb forces but few are critical. Those killed are all from the battle, none was the result of the collapse, though still trying to confirm anymore casualties."

Murrue nods, "I see."

"However," Murrue sighed. "That doesn't erase the fact we lost the colony."

"Captain," Michael said. "A colony can be rebuilt, same can't be done to human life. We should be that thankful we don't have the death toll of Bloody Valentine."

"Could we have anything better to have saved it?"

Michael gave her a sheepish shrug, "Who knows? We can only do our best when critical times come."

"Well said Mike," Mu commented, "Though it doesn't suit your style."

"Thanks." Mike replied wryly, he looks at something offscreen, "Looks like they're finished with my suit's battery change, I have to go back out there. Takahashi out."

--

"**Kira, you sure you're okay?" Wynn's Wyvern flies beside him.**

"I… I'm fine." He responded, Wynn noted his breathing was a little more closer spaced. "I just… a little shook up."

"I think you're more than just a little shook up," She flatly commented. "C'mon, let's get back to Archangel."

"Wynn… Do you think my parents are okay?"

She though a moment what to say, "Probably…"

They both kept silent.

As they returned to the Archangel, Kira then spots something on the corner of his eye, "Hey Wynn, you see that?"

He makes the Strike point at blinking light just a little distance away.

Wynn looked at it for a moment, "If that's what I think it is… c'mon."

--

"**Hey chief," **

One of the younger mechanics asked Murdoch. "Did I hear right? The Tallgeese is actually coming here?"

"Yeah," The senior mechanic replied. "Apparently the commander of the UN Fleet is meeting with captain."

Younger man shook his head, "Who would have thought three of the Spartan Eternals would give us a hand. What are the odds of that happening?"

"Not too often," Murdoch gets something in his comlink. "Get ready, they're coming in."

"**Chimera, Strike GINN, Tallgeese, you are all clear for entry."**

As the three mobilesuits lined up for entry, Antonio calls out.

"Hey Yuki, where did you disappear to back there?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was busy two GINNs double teaming me. We were fighting all over the place, when it was over I ended up half a klik from the Gagarin."

Antonio kept silent for a moment, "That's not like you, you can normally take out five GINNs by yourself without any trouble."

Yuki groaned mentally, _I hate it when he's this persistent._

"It's been when since I actually fought in space." She prayed that he didn't push it any further. She wanted him to be the first to know her plans, alone.

To her relief Antonio shrugged it off.

**Murrue, Natarle, Mu and several of the crewmen stood attention **

As Captain Une Samsonov, still in her spacesuit, entered the bridge accompanied by Antonio and Miyuki.

They all salute as they entered.

"At ease," Une began, offering her hand to Lt. Ramius. "I am Captain Anya Une Samsonov of the Agares Carrier group from the 2nd UN fleet."

"Greetings ma'am," She shakes the hand. "I'm Lt. Murrue Ramius, acting captain of this ship, the Archangel."

Une raises an eyebrow, "Acting captain?"

**Lt. Ramius explains their current situation.**

"I see," Une adjusts her glasses. "I'm assuming you're going to rendezvous this ship with the 8th Earth fleet or bring to Ptolemaeus the moon."

"We're still considering our options ma'am," Murrue answered.

The UN officer nods, "Understandable, though I believe you'll need supplies going there. Are they sufficient?"

Murrue turns to Natarle, "Ensign Badgiruel?"

She nods and steps forward, "Ma'am, the rations are plentiful and our ammunition is more than enough to last us until we make it to maybe Artemis. However we haven't had the chance to collect a sufficient amount of water for the journey."

Une nods again, "I will have my ships provide you with all the ammunition and water we can spare."

Murrue nods her slightly upon hearing this, "Thank you ma'am for your generosity."

Une smiles and shakes her head, "It's the least I can do."

"After all," She sighs sadly looking out the bridges window into the spot where Heliopolis once was. "We weren't here defending the colony."

Murrue looked down, "We didn't much either ma'am."

Une smiles at the younger woman and shook her head, "At least you tried, Lieutenant."

"Captain!" Romero Pai called out, "The Strike and one of the Wyverns are coming back but they seemed to be carrying a life pod with them. I believe they're intending to bring it in."

Natarle scowled when she heard this, "What! Tell the pilots that we can't do that! Let the UN forces take care of it."

"**What do you mean 'we can't bring them in'?"**

Kira scowled when he heard the reply from the Archangel. "We can't just leave them out here!"

"It can't be helped!" Ens. Badgiruel answered back, "We're still in combat, and it's against regulations to bring in civ–"

"Ensign, Permit them entry," Lt. Ramius interrupted her.

Natarle looks at her with disbelief, "Captain! What are you doing? You can't–"

"I'm aware of that ensign Badgiruel, I'll take responsibility for it."

"But the UN forces are just–"

"That lifepod is already recovered by the Strike." Murrue said in a stern tone, "And there maybe wounded civilians inside who need immediate help."

"We can always transfer them later ensign," Miyuki added, frowning at the XO. She was starting not to like her. "Its not major issue you know."

"Fine," Natarle Badgiruel said, shooting a glare at Miyuki. "But I will mention this in my report."

"**Huh…"**

Wynn raised an eyebrow, "They gave us authorization. Just when was about to go to the Agares fleet."

"I guess we better go in before they change their minds." Kira commented.

"Yeah…" She replied, "I wonder what happened?"

"**Ton-ton…"**

Miyuki whispered to her cousin's ear.

"Hmm?" He looks at her, "Yeah?"

She grabs hold of on of his arms, "We need to talk. Alone."

Antonio sees the look in her eye, "…Okay…"

"Hey Une, I have to do some work on my mobilesuit."

He gives her a look. She sees it and nods. "Very well, you may go Lt. Colonel"

Natarle looks over her shoulder, eying the two leaving the bridge.

_Don't tell me she's-!_

Natarle's fist tightened.

_That little-!_

She glared at Miyuki as she exits the bridge.

--

**Miyuki explains to him about Visch and his plan**.

Though she didn't tell him anything about GENESIS or the real reason she and Visch formed the plan. That would come when the time was right.

"So he's an old friend of yours who's willing to throw in the towel for you?" Antonio asked, understandably unsure of this information given to him, "Is he really worth trusting?"

Miyuki nods, "Visch never betrays his friends. He'll keep his word."

"I hope you're right about that…" Antonio sighs, "And I hope I'm not going to regret this. Let's talk to Une about this later."

"Thanks cuz'." She kisses him on the cheek.

"Sure," Antonio tilts his head toward the other end of the hall way. "C'mon let's see what we can actually do with the Chimera.

**When they made it to the hangar, there was a flurry of activity.**

Soldiers and crewmen were debriefing the lifepod's occupants. Murdoch's maintenance crew was rearming the mobilesuits that just came in, while one of the UN security medic teams was treating a man with a possible heart condition.

"Looks like Murrue-sempai made the right decision after all." Miyuki commented with a smile.

She then frowns, "Can you believe that ensign? She was more concerned with the regulations than the possibility of someone injured in that pod."

"She had a valid reason to do so," Antonio answered. "That lifepod has left this ship vulnerable, we're as open to attack as a net without a goalie."

She frowns at him, "So you agree with her? We should've just left them out there?"

"Of course not, but I'd at least made sure the perimeter is secure before doing so. Besides, we're in a war here, people die all the time."

Miyuki winces at that last remark, "You're heartless."

"No I'm not," Antonio frowns at her. "I'm just being realistic here."

She looks at him for a moment, "Why are you defending that woman? You know her don't you?"

Antonio sighs, rolling his eyes. "That was Natarle Badgiruel."

Miyuki blinked, "What? That was the Badgiruel you've been talking about? What do you see in her?"

"Hey!" Antonio scowled even more, "We may be close cousins Yuki, but I draw the line at–"

"Antonio! Mrs. Kajiura!" a young girl voice called out.

Both turn to see who it was. A young teen age girl ran toward them, she had long red hair and blue eyes, she wore a pink dress. Kira and Wynn followed behind.

Antonio's eyes widened for a moment.

_No… not her…_

"Flay Allster!" Both cousins said in unison.

She began asking them questions, all of which they couldn't or didn't want to answer.

Did they saw her friends? The ones she had been happily with before the attack.

What happened to Heliopolis?

Why did ZAFT attack?

"Is this a ZAFT ship?" She asked, looking around fearfully.

"No, this isn't a ZAFT ship," Kira answered. "Sai and Mir are here too."

He places a hand on her, "Everything will be alright."

**Antonio sat on the cockpit of the Chimera checking if everything was in order.**

However, he couldn't seem to keep his mind on his work. Eventually he gave up and settles himself onto the cockpit seat, staring blankly onto to space.

He completely forgotten Flay Allster was in Heliopolis.

"She could have been…"

--

**On the Ursa Major, Visch stood in front of Douglas Marshall's desk.**

He had told Marshall everything about what he heard from Miyuki.

Douglas shook his head, disgusted by what he heard. "So this GENESIS… is it for real?

Visch nods grimly, "She gave me a project number, the engineer company assigned, even the people in charge of it. Doug, chances are if I check it out, it's for real."

Douglas looked down on the desk. He was facing a dilemma, his loyalty to the Plants and his loyalty to his friends were clashing. What should he do?

The Ursa Major was once the flagship of the Swords' small four ship fleet.

"Doug, you know her just as well as any member of the swords. She'd never bullshit with things like this."

Marshall closes his eyes, "I… I think I can get everyone into this…"

"Thanks man," Visch said. "I owe you for this."

"Think nothing of it," He pulls a drawer in his desk and pulls out a pack of cigarettes.

He lights one and takes a few puffs, "So. It will be in the next battle right?"

"Yeah…"

--

"**Kira Yamato,"**

Mu La Flaga called out as he approached the young coordinator.

He looks up, "Yes?"

"The boys and girls from the UN will be leaving soon. So it will be just you and me. And we don't have enough people. So, you maintain your machine. Okay?"

Kira looks at him, "My machine? Wait, you mean that mobilesuit?  
"Well, let's just say that's what's been decided. Fact is, you are the only one capable of piloting it. Can't be helped."

Kira gives out a dimpled smirk, "Yeah… looks that. Okay, I'll take care of it."

He then looks at Mu in the eye, "But I want to make one thing straight."

"Huh? Sure what is it?"

"I drove the thing only because I didn't have any choice. I don't want you people saying that makes me a soldier or anything."

Mu nods, "Sure. I don't think that'll be a problem."

He gives him his hand and smile, "Looks like it's gonna be just you and me kid."

"Make that three of us," a familiar voice replied.

Both Kira and Mu turn to see who it was.

Miyuki Kajiura walks toward them, she wore an Alliance officer's uniform which was black on the shoulder.

"Kajiura-sensei!" Kira exclaimed, "You're…!"

"Yeah," Miyuki nods. "I decided to stick around."

"Well, well," Mu smiled mischievously. "Looks like you're officially a turncoat."

Miyuki winces as the remark, giving the mobile armor a disapproving frown, "I resent that."

Mu laughed and held up his hands, "Hey, don't get mad. I was just joking!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"So you'll still be using that GINN right?"

"Uh-huh," Miyuki adjusts her uniform's collar. "I never thought I'd ever be wearing one these."

"Well you better get used to it," Mu commented. "I have a feeling you're be wearing that for a while."

His face turns serious, "And hopefully soon, 'cause we have precious little time, including time to think it over."

After all three of them left for the hangar, Flay, who was listening in, turns to Sai and the others.

"What was all that about?" She asked, "So then, that Kira guy, he was in..."  
"You heard about how the lifeboat you were on was carried in by a mobile suit, didn't you?" Sai took a deep breath, "My friend Kira was the one piloting it."  
Flay was shocked by this "What? He's the one? But why? Why would somebody like him be in a mobile suit? Why is Mrs. Kajiura in an Earth forces uniform? And what was about her using a GINN?"

"It's because Kira and Kajiura-sensei are actually both Coordinators," Kuzzey answered.

Flay gasps.

--

**Several hours later, UN forces and the Archangel had successful completed the rescue and recovery of all lifepods**.

The carrier manages to take some of the residents of Heliopolis in the Archangel. However it was found that the fleet did not had the capacity to take all the residents.

Lt. Murrue Ramius felt she had no choice but to take in the remaining residents in to the Archangel, taking for responsibility for the action.

Taskforce Bravo loads its equipment to the Nelson-class Tiberius which was docked beside Archangel.

"Well, looks like this is good bye for now." Antonio said to Natarle as they stood on the docking bridge connecting the Archangel with the Tiberius.

She nods, "Seems that way."

Antonio was about to salute but decides to place his hands over shoulder, this surprises her.

He looks her in the eye, "Be careful out there Natarle."

She just looks at him first, and then nods. "You too… Anton"

--

"**Sir," one of the petty officers in the Vesalius' bridge calls out.**

"Sensors had detected that the UN fleet is breaking off with the legged-ship."

"What," Ades turns to him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes sir, the UN fleet is heading to the direction it came from. The legged-ship seems to moving at the opposite direction."

"Our quarry has left the protection of the pack," Rau commented. "This seems to be the perfect time to test out our new suits."

"Commander?" Ades looks at him, "You're seriously launching those captured mobiles."

"Indeed I am Ades," he answered. "They are war machines after all, what good are they if we do not use them? Besides we have already gathered all the needed data on them, so it doesn't matter if they get damaged."

--

**Several minutes later inside the Nelson-class Tiberius,**

"Anton," Anya's image appears on the left side of the mobilesuit HUD. "The probes we left behind are detecting the remaining Zaft forces. You have my permission to launch."

Antonio nods, "Roger that."

He switches the radio frequency to the UN mobile armors, "Okay boys it's started. Remember, you are not to engage the hostile ship with the specified IFF code given to you. All else are fair game."

The mobile armor pilots replied, "Sir, Yes sir!"

He then switches the frequency again.

"Bravo team, are we good to go?"

"We're all set Ant," Michael Takahashi replied.

"Okay then," Antonio lowers the visor of his helmet. "Let's roll out!"

--

"**Give us a break!" Mu grumbled as he prepares to launch.**

"The fleet was gone for only ten minutes!" He sighs as he lowers the visor of his helmet, "Okay kid, don't forget the plan."

"Right," Kira followed, his mobilesuit was armed with the aile striker pack. "Let's protect this ship."

"Copy that," Miyuki replied. The Strike GINN was armed with the sword striker pack.

--

"**Well, there it is."**

Dearka said as he in the GAT-X103 Buster, Yzak in the GAT-X102 Duel, Nicol in the GAT-X207 and Rusty in his custom-made GINN approached the Archangel.

"C'mon," Yzak takes the lead. "Athrun already left the Vesalius, I don't want him getting the jump on us."

"Easy there cowboy," Rusty commented. "Besides there's plenty for all of us."

"Especially with Miguel not here," he quickly added.

Miguel had used the last available GINN during the last sortie.

"Hmph," Yzak shook his head. "What did I tell you? I told you he couldn't beat her."

"To tell you the truth, she's gotten better since the Swords."

Even when he lost two of their teammates in that battle, he could help but admire the skill Janus Aelia shown in that battle.

"I guess its good thing she's not with the Earth Forces." Nicol commented.

"Hah!" Dearka grinned. "She would have kicked all our butts plus Athrun."

"That wouldn't be fun," Rusty commented. "That's for sure."

--

"**Enemy mobilesuits detected," **

Chandra announced, "It's Duel, Buster, Blitz and a GINN."

"Is there any sign of the Aegis?" Natarle asks.

"No, it hasn't shown up yet."

"Keep an eye out for it," Murrue said. "It's bound to show up sooner or later."

--

"**Okay…" Mu said as guides the Zero through the pieces of debris.**

"It's not too far from Le Creuset's ship now. Hey Kajiura, you still with me?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Hope Kira and the Archangel are holding out."

"I know, we better–" Mu's radar goes off, "Wha… mobilesuits?-! Enemy reinforcements! Damn it, we better head ba–!"

"Hold it, Mu." Miyuki interrupted, "You should check out who it is."

"Huh?" Mu picks up an image of the incoming units. He zooms in for a closer look, "Wha? It's... wait a minute… aren't those the…"

"Uh-huh," Miyuki smiled. "That's the UN alright."

--

**Meanwhile the Archangel was taking hits from the Blitz and Buster. **

"This thing's better armed than I thought," Dearka commented as he dodges the incoming rounds fire at him.

"It's almost like we're fighting two Nazca-classes!" Rusty fires his shoulder mounted recoilless rifle at one of the Archangel's Gottfrieds

"I'm going to try and hit down below this thing," Nicol declared as he dives under the Archangel.

"Watch it Nicol!" Rusty called as he follows.

The ship however refuses to go down easily and fights back.

--

**On the Vesalius, Comm. Le Creuset watches the battle continuing to ensue.**

"Commander Le Creuset," Ades said. "We have confirmation from the Gamow, the one remaining Earth forces mobilesuit is fighting with our forces."

Rau smiles at this, "I see, so most of those mobilesuits and armors are from the UN forces. And the one mobile armor they have must be unfit for a sortie."

"The critical time has come. Ades, we are joining the battle."

"Yes sir!"

**Meanwhile, the Duel and Strike are locked in combat.**

The Aegis was close by, however does not partake in the battle. It was merely observing.

"Athrun!" Yzak shouts. "Why aren't you fighting?"

Yzak fire several shot from his beamrifle. Kira answers with his own beamfire.

However, an alarm goes in the Strike's cockpit.

"Huh?" Kira's eyes widened when he realizes what it was. "The Strike's almost out of power!"

--

"**Captain!" Jackie yells, "One of the enemy Nazca-classes has its main gun locked on us!"**

"What?-!" Lt. Ramius was taken aback by this. "But their own mobile are still in the line of fire!"

"Aim the Lohengrin!" Natarle ordered, "Prepare to fire!"

"No," Murrue ordered. "The Zero and Strike GINN are still out there!"

"But captain, we'll be –!"

"Have faith in our pilots ensign!"

--

"**Fire at the legged-ship," Rau ordered.**

"Yes sir," Ades answered hesitantly. "Fire the main gun!"

Suddenly one of the petty officers yells, "Sir! I'm detecting two unidentified units coming at us from above sir! I think it's a mobilesuit and a mobile armor!"

"What!" Rau yelled, "Evade!"

The large ship tries desperately to move out of the way.

"Too late Rau!" Mu yells as he lets lose his gunbarrels, hitting the Vesalius in several places.

The Strike GINN pulls out the "Schwert Gewehr" anti-ship sword.

"Okay…" Miyuki said to herself, "One of the main power relays should be…"

"Here!" She plunges the sword into a spot just behind the bridge tower. This cause several explosions inside the ship, crippling it severely.

"Damn you Mu La Flaga!" Rau curses, he glares at the Strike GINN as it passes the bridge by. "And to you as well, whoever you are."

"Okay," Natarle yells. "Here's our chance.

"Aim the Lohengrin!" She and Murrue yell in unison, "Fire!"

The blast hits the starboard bow of the Vesalius.

"Damn it…!" Rau curses as they get hit.

The petty officer called out again, "Captain!"

"What is it now?-!" Ades yelled.

"We getting reports from the Gamow, Armstrong and Ursa Major, they're being attacked by UN forces!"

"What!" Rau was finding himself getting more aggravated. "They left the legged-ship to lure us into a trap?-!"

_Shrewd move Le Saint Claire, shrewd move._

"Ades!" Rau shouts, "order our mobilesuits to withdraw."

--

"**Looks like the Nazca-class is pulling back," Chandra announced.**

"Where's the Strike?" Natarle asked. "It's been out too long."

"Ma'am," Mir answers. "Kira's still fighting with the Buster and Duel."

Mir's face grows worried, "It looks like he's in trouble."

"He must running out of power!"

"Inform Lt. La Flaga and Kajiura!" Murrue ordered.

--

**The UN forces met no major resistance from ZAFT mobilesuits possibly because of the previous battles.**

The mobile armors swarm around the Gamow and Armstrong.

"This is for Heliopolis!" Luke yelled as he strafes passed the Laurasia-class Armstrong firing his beam rifle and missiles.

"And this is for the boys we lost!" Frank flies behind him and let's loose with his Gunlauncher and shoulder mounted linearguns at the same Laurasia-class.

Daniel was patiently shooting away the Gamow, hitting it repeatedly on several critical spots.

**Meanwhile the rest of the Bravo team dealt with the more delicate part of the mission, dealing with the Ursa Major without destroying it. **

Regina and Jethro dealt with the mobilesuits protecting the ship.

"Well, well," Visch smile when he saw a familiar suit. "Fancy meeting you again Feddy."

Regina grins, "Same goes to you Sword."

"So… how's Capricorn hanging?" Visch asked.

"Capricorn's doing a long haul now." She answered. That was a code Miyuki and Visch arranged to signal each other.

Visch nods "I see…"

He sends a preset message to the Ursa Major and turns back his attention to Regina, "I guess we better resume where let off."

"My thoughts exactly," Regina pulls out her Armor Schneiders. "Shall we dance?"

Visch pulls out Dusk and Dawn, "Let's."

"**Just because we're just playing doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on ya!"**

Marvin Hayes yelled as his GINN attacks with Jethro's Leos with his MA-M3 heavy sword.

"I don't expect you to boy!" He pulls out an M1 heavy sword.

As both pull back, the simultaneously fire their machineguns at each other.

As they reached a distance, they pull their swords out again and charge, sparks flew as their swords clashed in the impact.

"Not bad old timer." Marvin commented.

Jethro grinned, "You're not bad yourself kiddo."

"**Uh-Oh, we got company."**

Mike commented as three GINNs came toward them.

"Play nice Mike," Antonio said, "Those boys maybe from the Ursa Major."

"Don't worry," Michael answered. "I'll baby them if I have to."

He then boosts off.

"Okay fellas," Michael says as the Siginarugan twirls the Sidapa. "Let's do the tango."

The first GINN attacks him with a horizontal slash with its sword.

The Siginarugan dodges this by sliding below in a horizontal position. When he gets behind it, he cuts off the GINN's right arm and head. The other two try to attack during this but one is greeted by the full brunt of the Siginarugan's CIWS and AWs hitting it in the head and limbs. The second one manages to get close to the Siginarugan and uses its sword. Michael parries the attack with his left armor jaeger

"Nice try pal!" The Sidapa folds in the middle, placing both double scythe blades side by side. "But you'll have to do better than that!"

He slices the head off.

**The Chimera dodges the beam and CIWS fire thrown at it.**

It pulls out the M172D "Bathala" 175mm. high power beamrifle stored on the back of hips, placing them together to form the 350mm. beam canon. Antonio pulls down the sniping interface to aim his shot precisely. He notes the target Nazca-class moving, apparently trying to evade but not enough to throw off his shot.

"The Captain and crew in that one are good." He commented, "Well, brace yourselves fellas."

He fires several shots, hitting two main thrusters on the back, the power relay behind the bridge tower and several of the ship guns.

Antonio turns on his radio, "Bravo leader to kids, I tagged it, fan out team."

--

**At the same time the Strike, surrounded of the Buster, Duel, Blitz and Rusty's GINN, had run out of power and loses its PS armor.**

Just as the Duel was about to make the final blow, Athrun rushes in and captures the Strike with the Aegis using its limbs in mobile armor mode.

"Athrun!" Yzak yells as he chases after him, "What the hell are you doing?-!"

"We were ordered to destroy the Strike!" Dearka followed close behind them.

"I know that," Athrun replied. "But if we can capture it would be better."

"He's got a point you guys," Rusty flies beside the Aegis. "C'mon let's head back."

"Athrun," Kira called out. "What are you up to?"

"I'm taking you to the Gamow," Athrun answered.

"Get serious. I'm not going to set foot on any ZAFT ship."

"You are a Coordinator. You're one of us, Kira."

"No! I won't join ZAFT!"

"That's enough, Kira. Quiet! Just let me take you. Otherwise... otherwise, I'll have no choice but to shoot you."

"Athrun..."

"I already lost my mom at Bloody Valentine. That's why..."

Athrun then is interrupted by the Zero and the Strike GINN.

"Sorry guys," Miyuki unsheathes Chaya and the Schwert Gewehr. "You already have four of the G-units. Don't be so greedy!"

She tackles Rusty's GINN head on.

Rusty grits his teeth as he parries the very familiar katana, "Kajiura-sama…"

"Don't think you can just take the Strike without a fight!" Mu once again lets his gunbarrels against the Aegis and Blitz.

The Strike eventually shakes loose and begins heading back to the Archangel with the Duel and Buster hot pursuit.

"**Captain," Mir calls out. "The Strike is heading back, but it's being chased by the Buster and Duel!"**

"Captain!" both Mu's and Miyuki's images appear onscreen.

"Send the Launcher Striker pack and on the catapult." Miyuki ordered. "Aim it at the Strike or else will get shot down."

"That's crazy!" Natarle protested. "The enemy will just shoot it down!"

"Losing a striker pack is way better than losing the Strike," Mu pointed out. "Now c'mon, he doesn't have time!"

Murrue nods, "Launch the remaining striker pack at the Strike!"

"Okay…" Natarle nods with a little uncertainty, "Provide cover fire for the Strike with the Igelstellungs!"

"Pray it actually gets to him," Miyuki commented to Mu.

"Yeah…" Mu switches his frequency. "Kid, hang in there. The launcher is on its way!"

"The launcher?" Kira asked, "On its own?"

"Don't ask," Miyuki snapped. "Just get to it if you want to live!"

"R-right!"

**The launcher pack leaves the Archangel, heading straight for the Strike.**

As Kira gets close to it, he jettisons the Aile pack and begins attaching the launcher.

"Don't think I'll just let you use that!" Yzak yelled as close in at the Strike. He pulls down his sniping interface, he aims his beamrifle. "You're finished!"

Just then his alarm goes off, "Wha-? From above?-!"

He looks up to find one of the EUMS-Mk109 Wyverns charging at him with a beamsaber in both hands.

"Yzak!" Wynn yells as she dives down.

"Damn!" Yzak lets go of his rifle and pulls out his own beamsabers. He blocks Wynn's assault but is knocked away a good distance.

"Yzak!" Dearka yells as docks the Buster's two guns together, forming the 350mm. anti-armor shotgun. "Take this Aelia!"

A wall of beam shards heads straight at Wynn. But she gets shielded by the Tallgeese, which takes the shards without having significant damage.

"What the heck?-!" Dearka yelled. "Is that thing anti-beam coated?-!"

"Pretty good shot," Une commented as the Tallgeese aims its two modified 450mm. M40 high power gunlaunchers. "Try this!"

The shots damage both arms of the Buster.

"Damn you, Natural!" Yzak aims his beamrifle at the Tallgeese from behind.

But before he fires, the arm of the Duel that held the beamrifle gets shot off. "What-!"

He turns around to see that the Strike had successfully merged with the launcher pack.

Yzak grits his teeth, "I'm finished yet!"

He just as he was about to pull out his beamsaber, an alarm goes off.

"What? No! My power's almost gone?"

Kira began firing the Agni canon repeatedly. He was backed by the Zero, the Tallgeese, Wynn's Wyvern and the Strike GINN.

"Yzak, we better pull back!" Athrun warned.

"If this keeps up we'll be the ones out of power!" Dearka shouted.

Yzak glares at the image of the Strike on his screen and punches it, "We were so close!"

"**Looks like the enemy mobilesuits are finally falling back." Chandra announced.**

Ramius sinks into the captain's chair breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's over."

Natarle nods, "For now at least."

--

**Lt. Ramius once again shook the hand of Captain Samsonov.**

"Thank you for your assistance Ma'am." Murrue began

"No need to be grateful," Une smiled. "Think of it payback for Heliopolis."

"Besides it was the Lt. Colonel's idea." She continued, "He figured that the ZAFT forces would attack again if we left."

"So you guys decided to use us as bait." Mu said shaking his head with a smirk.

Antonio shrugs sheepishly, "Hey, I know it was a risk. But you survived didn't you?"

He then turns to Murrue, "Ma'am, my men will need someplace to rest."

She looks at him blankly at first, but quickly realizes what he meant. "You and your team are going to stay?"

He nods, "We never intended to leave in the first place, since they're still Heliopolis survivors onboard."

"Besides," Une added. "I doubt that would be the last you'll hear of ZAFT. So I will leave one of the Drake-classes, the Basilisk, under your command."

Murrue her head slightly, "Thank you ma'am."

"I believe you know its captain. He is the son of your former mentor."

"Steven?" Murrue was surprise. "Steven Halberton?"

"I believe that's my name being called out." A young officer walks up toward them. His darker hair than his father and his face was a little broader but definitely bore a resemblance, "Nice to see you out here Murrue."

She smile as she saw one of her old academy buddies, "Nice to see you too Stevie."

Mu also smiles, obviously knowing him too. "Hey Stevie!"

Stevie's smile grew wider when he saw Mu, "Well! Ain't it the Hawk of Endymion!"

"Ain't it the Coyote!"

Steve "Stevie Decatur" Halberton was also known as the "Coyote" for his Yeehaws when he pilots mobile armors.

The two men high-five each other and laughed.

Natarle rolled her eyes, "Great, now I have three clowns to deal with."

Michael looks at her, "And what was that supposed to mean?"

--

"**Stupid bastard!"**

Yzak Joule slams Athrun Zala against a locker, "Are you out of your mind? If it hadn't been your interfering for no reason...!"

"Quite the little disaster." Dearka Elsman commented, "And all because you had to disobey orders."  
Nicol Amalfi and Rusty Mackenzie enter and see what's going on.

"What are you doing? This isn't the place. Stop it!" Nicol said.

"What the heck are you guys angry to him for?" Rusty added. "You didn't do well out there either!"

"That was because _he_ butted in," Dearka retorted.

"We went out in five machines," Yzak said. "We had the chance, and we still couldn't get him! It's too humiliating for words!"

"You can take it out on Athrun all you want," Nicol counters. "But it won't change anything, will it?"  
Dearka and Yzak glare at him.

"Besides," Rusty looked at them plainly. "Haven't finished your reports yet? 'Cause we already did."

With that, Dearka and Yzak stalk out of the room.  
"Athrun," Nicol began. "I can't help but think that this isn't like you."

"Yeah man," Rusty folded his arms leaning against his locker. "You sure you're not hiding anything from us?"

Nicol continued, "So if you..."

"Guys" Athrun looked at them. "Could you just let me be alone for a while? Okay?"  
He exits locker room and slams his fist against the wall, "Kira..."

--

**The UN fleet finally leaves the Archangel on its own, leaving with it a special taskforce and a Drake-class. **

However, they had one more thing to do before the leave.

"Okay!" Lady Une, back in the Agares, began, "All ships set course and fire the decoys!"

The UN ship began firing decoys in several directions. At Antonio's advice they decided to fire decoys with the Archangel's heat signature to confuse the pursuing ZAFT fleet.

In the Archangel, Mu, Michael and Antonio smirk as they watch the decoys being fired.

"Happy hunting Rau."

--

**A/N:** Phew… This one was a little trickier to do than the last ones. When you review please tell what you think of Miyuki 'cause she's still a character I'm developing though I like what she's turning out to be. By the way, did I overdo that part with Patrick?


	8. Phase6: Tears of Eurasia part one

**A/N: **Well, time go to Artemis. And to keep things from being too predictable I'll decided to do a little preview for what I have in store for the Archangel and the Bravo team when they get to Earth. And I'll take this opportunity to shed a little more personality and background on my other OC's. Mike, Miyuki and Ant have been hogging too much screen time.

Oh yeah, some points of this section and the next one shall be told in a first person point of view. Pay attention or you'll get confused.

Now to update the disclaimer…

**Disclaimer:** Gundam SEED belongs to Bandai Animation. Lady Une, Zechs Merquise and Lucrencia Noin are from Gundam Wing also by Bandai Animation. Xuiying Hong belongs to Yu Suzuki's "Shenmue" by AM1 Sega. Visch Donahue and Master Pierce Rayer are from Bandai games' "MS Gundam Sidestory 79: Rise from the Ashes."

Most United Nations personnel, Vincent, the Swords of Zodiac except Visch Donahue and the Shroud belong to me. All Equatorial Union MS the GAT-Zero series MS, the Skiold class, the Basilisk, BuCUE Jackal and some of the guns are also mine.

Here we go…

**Phase 06: Tears of Eurasia part one**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**So this is it eh?"**

Antonio commented to Miyuki as Murdoch and crew worked on the Chimera.

"Mm-hmm…" She answered, "This is actually the second Striker pack type created for the oh-one-three."

"The Chimera's looking like a walking arsenal now," He commented.

She laughs, "That's the idea."

The Chimera's shoulders were loaded with heavy ordnance weapons each mounted a 115mm. railgun, a 105mm. canon and an MK24E 155mm. missilepod. There was one missilepod mounted on each of its normal legs. Both hands held a shield with a 57mm. double Gatling gun, the scarab close combat shield was once again replaced. And there's what looked like an Aile flight pack attached to it except it was black.

"This is the IWS/X02 Sol, it's basically made to increase the Chimera's firepower in its middle range game, it has no high recoil weapons so a flight pack is added to increase mobility."

"And none of these weapons are energy type so they don't take up too much power," Antonio observed.

"Since it's the only pack we have, you should be careful with it." She looks him, "Don't break it Anton."

He nods, "Right."

**Several maintenance blocks down, Wynn frowns at Luke.**

"What are you getting at?" She asked, looking at him suspiciously.

He rolls his eyes, "What I'm getting at Wynn is it is not normal. Didn't you look at the data?"

Lucian had shown to her the data he had collected on the Strike.

"Not to mention he personally rewrote the entire OS during combat… I'm not convinced he just a high school stude."

"He's a coordinator Luke, just like me."

"Yeah, but did you turn as good he was on your first training sortie?"

Frank, who had been listening in comment, "Aren't you taking this a little too seriously mate?"

"C'mon Frank, think about it," Luke said. "Who's not to tell us he may be a Zaft agent?"

"No he's not!" Wynn snapped.

Both men look at here, she looks away.

"He's not a Zaft soldier," She murmured. "He's too kind and soft for that."

"And he fought his best friend today… He fought too hard to be one of them."

Antonio and Miyuki walked toward their block.

"Is something wrong?" Antonio asked, looking at each one of them.

"Nothing sir," Frank answered, "Just me and Luke goofing around."

"Yeah," Luke scratches his head. "I guess got carried away, sorry sir."

After the cousins left, Luke looks at Wynn. "You really trust him don't you?"

Wynn thrusts her hands into his pockets, leaning against a beam of the maintenance platform. "He, his best friend and I went to the same Lunar Prep School. They were my only friends back then, the other kids picked on me because I was unusually tall for my age."

"You musta been pretty close," Frank commented.

She nods, smiled sadly. "It's funny... Two guys who oppose war. Of all the ways they could have met again, it had to be in the battlefield on mobilesuits."

Luke, he leaned beside her, stared at the floor.

"Yeah… of all the ways," Luke shook his head, "Wynn, I'm sorry…"

She smiles, shaking her head. "Forget it."

Wynn then sighs, "To tell you the truth I'm a little curious about it myself."

Sudden thought ran through Luke's mind

_The kid's just like you…_

_You didn't become the Puppet Master because you enjoy it._

_You did it because you had to._

He then shrugs, "Who knows maybe he's just really into technology or maybe he's a prodigy."

Frank raised an eyebrow, "A prodigy coordinator? Is there even such a thing?"

"Not everything in a coordinator is genetically modified Frank," Jethro answered. The old sergeant was above them on the platform, leaning against the guard rail.

"Hey ya old fart!" Frank called out. "Were ya eavesdropping on us?"

"I just happened to hear you guys," He answered. "Like I said, not everything in a coordinator is genetically modified, there are still things to are given naturally y'know. The answer you're looking for can be simple as he just maybe be really, really smart."

"Being the wise old man doesn't suit you Top," Frank quipped.

Jethro glared at him. "Don't make me come down there you outback hick…"

Luke looks at the older man, "Yeah… I guess you're right."

He then turns to Wynn, "Look, I've been a jerk… is there anything I can do…"

Wynn smiled, "Thanks Luke. Well… You can always help me out on something I've been working on my wyvern… If you have the time that is."

Luke smirked and thumbs at Frank continuing to taunt old Jethro, "Doesn't look like I'm needed here anymore."

She laughs, "Seems that way…"

As they walked to the Wyverns, Luke gazes at her on the corner of his eye. "I must be hard for you. Seeing your friends fight…"

She nods, "We were such good friends… it hurts so much watching them go at each other."

He places a hand over her shoulder, "I understand how you feel, you're not alone. That's what happened to my family."

"Your family back home in South Africa?"

"Yeah, I never really told you much about them haven't I?"

"You've mentioned a lot of good times about them."

Luke nods, "Yeah well… To tell you the truth… It's more like I had two families. You see, one side is anti-alliance and other pro."

"It started off just maybe a debate between the two. But then… began spiraling out of control," He closes his eyes. "It came to a point that it became an internal family feud. In South Africa there was an easy way to settle differences."

"Luke…"

He sighs as he looks up at the wyvern, "It didn't take too long, just about a year from when it began... but there wasn't much left even then."

Before Wynn could say anything Luke said, "Well, let's get started on what you wanted."

Wynn looks at Luke who seemed to be a bit withdrawn, "Right…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**Hey Doug!" **

Visch called out as he entered the bridge followed by Marvin, "You called for me?"

Doug turns to my direction, he didn't like that look he gave him as Marshall furiously smoked the cigarette in his mouth.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We have been relieved from Rau Le Creuset's command."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

His frown grew deeper, "Just wait 'til you find out who replaces us."

"What!" Marvin and Visch yelled together, we couldn't believe it.

_Of all the rotten luck…! The Hawke team is replacing us?-! Leona Gransiere is in that team..._

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**Inside the Nazca-class, Lee, bound for Larange Point 3**

Leona Gransiere walks down the hall going to the hangar. She decides to go through the simulation a bit to warm herself up for what may be a good battle coming.

"Hey Gransiere," a familiar voice called from behind her.

She turns around to find Heine Westenfluss, a fellow red coat.

"Oh it's you Heine," She began, pushing her raven colored hair on her right side. "What is it?"

He points his thumb behind him to point the approximate direction of the bridge. "The commander wants us."

"He wants to brief us what we're going to be dealing with," he explained.

Leona nods, "Lead the way Heine."

The Hawke team was a special forces unit, composed entirely of redcoat pilots. All were noted for their skill not only with mobilesuits but in other fields as well, such leadership, marksmanship, demolition and reconnaissance to name a few.

"Hello men," Their commander Everard Hawke began. "I have just received information provided by Commander Le Creuset from the Vesalius."

Hawke nods at one of the petty officers who presses a button on the terminal he worked on. A video appears onscreen, it was of the Strike, the Wyverns, the Zero units and several UN mobiles fighting in different battles.

He reveals to them the successful operation of the Le Creuset team done in Heliopolis which unfortunately led its collapse. He goes on to tell them of the Strike and the legged ship. He also tells them the possible UN troops inside the ship.

"UN forces?-!" one pilot says with disgust. "Bah! They call themselves peacekeepers and yet they fight the Earth force's battles!"

"Hmph!" another one says. "That's because it's made up of Naturals, they're all alike!"

"For your information Redman," Leona began. "There are about fifty thousand coordinators in the UNAAF."

"Then they're all fools!" Redman spat.

This remark earned him Leona's fury. She stood up, her claret colored eyes went through him, "One of those 'fools' happens to be a close friend mine."

Redman and the others were quickly silenced. They knew better than to piss her off even more.

"And are you numbskulls deaf as well brain dead?" She continued, "There are Heliopolis survivors in the legged, those UN troops have be there."

"Leona…" Heine places a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down."

Without another word, she sat back down

Commander continues the briefing without any more interruptions.

After others left Leona and Heine approached their commander.

"You should really do something with that temper of yours Leona," Commander Hawke commented.

"Sorry sir," She nods respectfully. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

"Good," He smiles, "Well to tell you the truth, I don't blame you. Martell and Redman do tend to shoot their mouths off without thinking."

"Thank you sir," Leona answered. "By the way sir, I understand that the Ursa Major was damaged during its previous battle."

"Your old ship? Yes, it has. Along with the Armstrong and Vesalius, all of them are returning to the Plants for repairing and the Supreme council's inquiry."

"And also understand that Visch Donahue was one of the mobile suit team commanders who participated."

The commander nods, "Yes, however the Le Creuset's force still could not let the last Earth mobile suit and the new ship from escaping."

"I see, thank you sir."

As Leona and Heine left the bridge, Heine talks to her. "What do you think Leona?"

"I like to see how strong that Earth mobile suit mobile suit is." she answered. "The one that can change its equipment, after all it fought five red coat pilots."

"I'm more interested on those UN suits." Heine replied, "They fought much more aggressively and struck at rather hefty blow on our forces."

"This is going to be quite interesting," Leona smiled.

"Yes," Heine smiles too, "Quite a bit indeed."

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**Antonio enters infirmary, Murrue requested him check how are things doing down there.**

The Archangel didn't have its own medical staff yet because it was still essentially in the testing phase. Thankfully the civilian medical personnel who remained volunteered to man the station and Lt. Steven Halberton had transferred a good number of med techs from the Basilisk to Archangel.

"How're things doing here?" He asked Naomi Fletcher, who was the military doctor in charge and old acquaintance of his back in the Spartans, already full-fledge doctor when she joined the EU military. She was the only med tech in the sickbay with a rank.

Her light lavender eyes turned away from the paper on the clipboard, she smiles at him as she hastily straighten her light brown hair.

She wore a UN orbital fleet female officer's uniform, it was similar to the OMNI-enforcer uniform except for the color scheme. The general color was white, the parts were red in an alliance uniform was light blue. The grey shades were the same the UN uniform as they were on the alliance one, the stocking and shoe color were also the same. The UNAAF insignia was emblazed on the left shoulder, while the rank badge and unit insignia was placed on the right.

"Things are going smoothly Lt. Colonel," She answered with a distinctive British accent. "Thankfully the Alliances had stocked the facilities well. We have no significant problems so far."

She went on to reporting all the patients and their current statuses, which mainly range from minor to slightly moderate.

He nods to her, "Seems like things are doing well here. However I'll assign Lt. Spear and Spc. Lawman just incase people are giving you problems.

At the mentioning of Daniel's name, Naomi suddenly turns uneasy. "I- I see… thank you sir…"

Antonio smiles and gives her wink, "I figured you two should be spending some time together."

"A-Antonio!" She whispered with half convincing embarrassed anger, looking to see if anyone was looking. The daughter of a pacifist Protestant minister, Naomi was a person who rarely gets truly angry.

"I'll report you for harassment if you keep this up!"

He raises an eyebrow and smirked, "Oh come on, I'm just giving you two an opportunity here."

She looks away from him, still trying to make herself look angry. "February is still a couple of days away Mr. Cupid."

Antonio sighs and rolls his eyes, "Fine. I'll assign Sgt. Snow then."

He excuses myself and started to leave.

"No… Lt. Spear… would just fine."

"Changed your mind?"

Naomi holds her clipboard over her lap, her ears and cheeks turned pink. "I appreciate you looking out for me Anton…"

He looks at her over my shoulder, closes his eyes and shrugged. "It's my job."

"Thank you," She hugs her clipboard. "But can you please stopping joking about it?"

Antonio holds his chin and look up the ceiling, "Hmm… I don't know…"

She gives him a pained look, "Antonio…"

The Lt. Colonel laughed, "Sure, sure, don't worry. No more jokes I promise."

Before he finally leaves, he said one more thing, "Naomi, before I forget, you're in charge of UN personnel when I and Mike are out in combat."

"Yes sir,"

Antonio gives her another wink, "Good luck."

She nods back with a warm smile, "Thank you sir."

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**Archangel's Crew's quarters**

Miyuki ran her hand on Elle's hair as she slept on the bed.

She couldn't help but smile as Elle innocently slept, like a little cherub sleeping on the clouds.

The little girl had spent the last few hours running along the halls with Rhiannon as her guardian and playmate. Naturally she was tired when she finally came to her mother.

Miyuki bends down to kiss her on the cheek.

"My little angel…" She whispered, "…you deserve better."

She then stood up and went to the desk.

On it were two blue duffel bags, one contained items like clothes, a flashlight and spare batteries, two large canteens of water and four bag rations and vital documents such as passports, visas and Morgenroete research documents for all the mobilesuits projects.

She then turned her attention to the other bag, this one contained items that were a mix of what she may need soon and those of sentimental value.

Miyuki first pull out her other gun, an H&K MP5/K submachinegun and nine 20 round 9mm. magazines, she modified it to fire the same clips as her 9mm. M9 Beretta. She sets them on the corner of the desk along with the M9.

Next was the computer hard drive she asked Mike to take out and her laptop. After that, she pulled out her white ZAFT uniform and her old red uniform, she knew it was a risk bringing these along but she had pride of being a member of ZAFT, to her they were badges of honor.

The Agni was sheathed inside its scabbard. It was a bejeweled family heirloom passed for generations, there was no way in the world she would leave it. It was entrusted to her by her father after he pasted away. She pulls it out, letting the light shine on the blade, and places it close on the edge of the desk to the wall with its stand.

She then takes out several other items, now useless keycards, minidisks and USB's that contained vital data.

The next item that came out of the bag was a heavy piece of black rolled up cloth, tied up with three belts. She undid the belts and unrolled the cloth revealing its contents, a collection of different length swords and knives. There were two swords that immediately stood out. It was the Kirinji and the Mikagami, her katana and wakizashi.

They were not a matching set, the former was made by a Chinese sword maker who had learned to forge katanas, and its name was from a mythical Chinese beast that is said to give good fortune. Even though it was a katana, it had reverence to Chinese culture, the reverse side of the blade was engraved with a miniature diorama of rolling mountains, sea and sky extending the length of the blade. The sword guard was made in the traditional Japanese style with steel plated with sterling silver but if you look closer you would find a small engraving of a Kirin on the side of the guard facing the sword. The hilt was wrapped with white material bind together with a green cord.

The later was made by a Japanese sword maker, its name meant "water mirror." The blade did reflected like a mirror, even after she used it for years, there were no designs on the blade itself. The sword guard and hilt too were both sparsely decorated, the guard was of steel plated with chrome, shape that of a cherry blossom, the handle was wrapped in black sand paper fabric and bound with black cord. It was simple, yet very elegant.

She uses both swords with surprising regularity when she's not on a mobile suit.

She figured since she spent so much time perfecting her martial arts techniques might as well put them to use. And being a coordinator, dodging bullets was the norm.

Miyuki takes one of her other blades and rolled back the cloth and placed the belts and places it back in the duffel bag along with all the Morgenroete records and data she brought along.

She hides the bag deep into the air vent under the bed.

**But not before taking the last item inside the bag, a small lacquer box. **

She bit a lip when she looked at it, sitting on the middle of the desk. With a shaky hand, she opens it.

Inside were photos, photos of what my life once was. One was a picture of her, Elle and Darren waving, happy, with fountains in Sentosa at night as the background. Another was of her and Darren lying down on the grass, holding each other close.

Two pictures of her and her former team, one of them standing straight in uniform and the other of them in a bar laughing, waving at the camera. Pictures of family, Antonio held her by the waist, with her yelling in protest, both of them were laughing; a picture of her and her parents, the seashore in the background.

Each picture was one happy memory, each one was another ton onto her heart.

She sighs, letting herself sink into her chair. She takes out a metal flask from the other duffel bag.

Miyuki takes a swig from the flask, letting the strong taste of whiskey stay on her tongue. Hoping it could make her forget her troubles, even for just a little while.

She places the flask on the table, then again reaches out for the bag, this time taking out a Zippo, a pack of cigarettes and an ashtray. The ember of the lit cigarette glowed as she stared at the pictures, her hand ran gently ran along them.

Her came across one picture, it of her and Murrue back in their high school days. Back when she was only fourteen and Murrue was fifteen. They were once so close it was like they were sisters. And they probably still were now.

An overwhelming pang of guilt consumed her. What would Murrue do when she found out what she has done?

She closes her eyes. "Murrue-sempai… I'm so sorry…"

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**Odessa, Ukraine, Eurasian Federation**

It was January, so winter was still present here.

I was used to the cold, being from Oslo, Norway in the Kingdom of Scandinavia. The men stationed in the military installation we were targeting didn't have any experience of this climate, so I guess this was a pretty miserable night for them.

It's located several miles out of the city in the west. Security there was tight, you couldn't get so much as 5 miles to the base without being stopped and turned back by military patrols. The base and the 6 square miles around was a no fly zone, anything that did flew over was almost instantly shot down. Makes you wonder what in the world they're hiding in there.

**Some of my teammates and I were staying in a cozy little inn in Odessa.**

We were the only ones staying there, the family who run the place never had any guests for ages.

Odessa was hitting hard times. The city was once a major industrial center and a vital transfer point for rail and ocean transportation. That was until the world's fossil fuels ran out and the outbreak of the Restoration war. The economy had suffered greatly here, three-fourths of the city's inhabitants were unemployed. Most of the factories which could have still continued operating were closed down largely because their bankrupt owners could not get any capital from the Eurasian government to jumpstart their businesses. What money the city did have was squandered by its corrupt and incompetent officials.

This was typical in every city and town in Ukraine ever since it was a part of Eurasia. The central government had left the region in tatters, to rot and be with no future. This was also happening in other regions in the former eastern European countries and the in Middle East. Because of these conditions, there were a lot of people here wanted to secede from the Federation, whether it is by diplomatic means or by force.

It made me angry how much the much the Eurasian government neglected its own people, It made me angrier that the other nations of the Earth Alliance were turning a blind eye to it instead of sending aid. All of them were concerned in fighting a war that, to me, had no strategic objective.

How can the alliance say they're making a better world if they can't even feed the mouths of their own people?

How can they go to war when their people are already in such hardship?

**I sat on the top of a long, spectacular stairway leading up the harbor.**

These were sometimes called the _Potemkin Steps_, in memory of the crew of the ship "Potemkin" who mutinied in 1905 during the Russian revolution.

It was a nice quiet night, there was no moon but it was a clear sky, the stars gave fair light.

A wide-eyed little girl, sitting on her father's shoulders as he stood beside, points up the sky as she saw a shooting star streak pass the other stars. She talked in Russian, saying that it was an angel going down to earth.

The father nods saying she was correct, joking maybe the angel went to earth was jealous of his little angel because she was loved so much.

They laughed together, singing a song I have heard in the inn.

I smiled, remembering my own cherished times with my father.

After the girl and her father left, I hugged knees, looking again up sky.

It was indeed a beautiful peaceful night.

However… this peace was going to shatter soon.

"**Hey, Lucrencia!" Someone called from behind me, I didn't turn around because I knew who it was.**

It was 18 year old Master Pierce Rayer, he was in charge of the BuCUE unit of the team. Despite his age he was a very capable leader, he had proven that time and again when we were in the Spartans. During the last days of the war, in the Battle of Kaohsiung, he earned the name, "Beast of Kaohsiung."

He had light brunette hair and brown eyes. Pierce kept his hair as he did back then, short military crew cut with the hair on top he left to grow a bit.

"Hey Noin c'mon we have to go." He said as he bent down to shake my shoulder. "The night doesn't last forever y'know."

I sighed and "Okay, okay. You don't have to be so persistent."

I continued to look up, "But should really stop to admire the things around more often."

Pierce looked up, his anxious look was replaced by a relaxed gaze.

"It's beautiful isn't it," I asked.

"Yeah…"

"We may be young Pierce, but in our line of work, we may die young. Never take anything for granted…"

"Because life is too short," He continued. "That's what commander Le Saint Claire used to say."

I simply nod.

"I wonder how is he doing?" He blew softly into the air, his breath condensed in flowing to direction of the cold wild.

"I dunno. He's fine probably."

We kept silent for while looking up into the sky, I saw another shooting star streaking down.

I sighed, was that truly shooting star? Or was it the remains of destroyed space ship hurtling down to earth as it was pulled down by gravity? That was the sad truth, you could see the signs of war everywhere, no matter who you are or where you live.

"Lucy," Pierce called by the nickname only close friends and family called me. "Did you know Merquise was starting freak out when I left the Inn to find you?"

Zechs Merquise, 27 years old, the current man in my life. We met several years back at the start of the Eurasian-Pacific war, he was the eldest son of the Prince of Norway. Despite his status, he personally preferred to be treated like everyone else. He and his father were the driving force that passed a law in the kingdom that gave equal rights to coordinators. He had blue eyes and long platinum hair.

I grinned when I heard that, "Is he now?"

"Yeah," Rayer laughed. He then looks at me with a coy and mischievous smile.

"Hey," I frowned as he got behind me and places his arms around his waist. I looked over my shoulder to find myself looking him in the eye. I widened my eyes at what he did next.

He gently presses his lips against mine.

My body was in conflict. Should I slap him? Should I yell at him? Or should I just…

He pulls away, smiling smugly. "Do you think he'll freak out when he catches us doing this?"

I shook my head as I smiled at him, "Cruel bastard."

We held each other's hand as we walked back to the inn. Pierce was to me that type of friend you would do everything with, and kissing in the lips was not an issue for me, but sometimes, especially now that he was much older looking.

Even if I was 7 years older than him, I… y'know… like him to the point of… well…You get the idea, right?

Oohhhh…! This is so wrong…

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"**Okay," Simon West began as he took out a waterproofed map of the area.**

We gathered around him, looking over the map. We were in one of the rooms we rented. We all crammed in there to go over the plans of the operation.

"There's been a slight change of plan." He scratches his short dirty blonde hair with annoyance. "Our boys in Gibraltar are saying that a ZAFT Unit will be hitting the base in about Oh-two hundred hours."

Kanbei Hajime reels his head back, looking at Simon with a raised eyebrow, "Huh? Why's that?"

"Apparently," he explained. "There's been a lot of build up there and the adjacent bases. ZAFT thinks it's a threat to their foothold at Suez."

Simon was a man of detail. Back in the day, he was charged with planning missions for the Spartans. He was obsessed of getting things right, ensuring his teammates got the best information. Small details very rarely escaped him. He looked like what he always did, he had a military cut, his sandy blonde hair only millimeters long. His beady brown eyes were covered with a pair of blue tinted aviator sunglasses. Why in the world does he still wear those at night?

"So what does Nathaniel want us to do now?" Pierce asked as he looked at map.

"He wants us to begin the operation two hours ahead of schedule."

"He's assuming it's now or never?" Xuiying Hong said. She was a little older than me, two years. She was always a calm and very decisive woman, a major reason why she was second in command of the Water corps. She had long beautiful black hair braded into a long rope, her eyes were a striking deep blue color. She was really beautiful, in very simplistic way.

Simon nods, "The security will be beefed up for months after this, and we got no choice."

I sighed, "Another chance for the Spartans to 'Carpe diem'."

Kanbei grinned, "'Seize the day', yeah, very typical operation for us. Kinda reminds me of the old days"

Kanbei in short was an adrenaline junkie, he, like a good number of my fellow Spartans. His black hair was dyed with a streak of blonde, spiked upwards with hair gel. He had a ring on the end of attached on one end of his eyebrow and a small patch goatee. His dark complexion and brown eyes hinted he was part Polynesian.

Almost everyone in the room could agree.

"At any rate, this sounds like fun." An all too gleeful sounding voice said beside me.

I turned my head to face the owner of the voice, "This is all fun and games to you, isn't it?"

It was Vincent Allen Schellezar, he was probably as old as Antonio, 30 to maybe 35. Vincent had platinum hair and emerald green eyes that I find very unsettling for some reason. He wore a grey fedora and suit, and had this white silk scarf. Back in the Euro-Pac war he was a Lt. Colonel in the Eurasian military known as the "Bloody Joker", one of the biggest threats in the China Sea Theater of war because he was capable of using mobilesuits. I never really liked him. To me, he was an insane nutcase or to the very least a freak. I was okay with enjoying risks, but this guy pushes it to a level I can't comprehend.

He turns to me and smiles, "It's the hint of a challenge Ms. Noin. It wouldn't be exciting if this mission is a textbook scenario."

Before I could answer, Pierce spoke up. "Lighten up a bit Noin. I get the same feeling as he does with things like these."

I turn to him, I find him and Zechs giving me a look that said, "Calm down" or more appropriately, "Behave." So I kept silent.

I look at Vincent in corner of my eye, he was smirking at like child who had successfully framed another for his misdeeds.

Oh I hate him.

The dark brunette haired second-in-command of the operation, Sally Po cleared her throat, shaking her head, smiling calmly.

"Now, now children, let's behave now. Anyway, the operation will continue tonight."

She was always the peacemaker of the Spartans, Sally tried her best to keep disagreements between different members from getting out of hand and she was also the official matchmaker.

She briefs us of the adjustments made by Nathaniel Wolfthorne, the commander of this operation.

After finishing the last detail she looks at her watch, "We only have two hours before the timetable begins."

Her maple colored eyes looks at all of us. She then nods, "Time for us to check out."

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**The codename given to the operation was Black Avalanche.**

Our mission was to infiltrate the base and extract classified information regarding on a black operation conducted by the Eurasian military. According to Scandinavian and Equatorial Union intelligence, Eurasia had been aiding anti-coordinator extremist and terrorist groups in both countries, providing them with weapons, ammunition, money, training, food and other needs. Eurasia is also suspected of permitting these groups to use the Eurasian side of the borders as sanctuaries and training camps. The aim of these actions was to spark up distrust against coordinators and pressure the two countries into joining the war.

Of course, the two governments can't just go across or tighten the borders to or let alone accuse Eurasia without any physical proof of these allegations. And we couldn't launch covert operations if we didn't know where to strike.

So the leaders of the two countries decided to conduct a little black operation of their own. But the operation couldn't use too many regular soldiers because of the risk of discovery by the Eurasians via leaks or failure of the operation itself.

**Enter Nathaniel Wolfthorne, leader of mercenary group known as the Shroud.**

It started out as a small intelligence for hire group but it quickly expanded its field to rival even Gai Murakumo's Serpent Tail.

His mobilesuit team was composed of him, his second in command Sally Po, Kanbei Hajime, Simon West, Jacques Leon and Natsumi Mitarashi.

Nathaniel and the Shroud was a safe choice. Nathan is honest and very professional when it came to his work and he was the Spartan of Earth and most of his team was made of Spartans from the different corps.

The Spartan Guard was a paramilitary force divided into four groups, which we called the corps. Each corps was commanded by a Spartan Eternal, Antonio Le Saint Claire led the Water corps; Anya Une Samsonov led Wind corps; Mike Takahashi led Fire corps and Nathaniel led Earth.

Though we were equal in unit strength, each corps was specialized. Water was a close quarter combat oriented, deep penetration unit using guerilla tactics, surprise attacks and ambushes. We were assigned largely in the Pacific.

Fire was a land oriented mechanized infantry unit, using blitzkrieg style raids. They terrorized the Eurasians and East Asians in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

While Wind became an airborne combat and reconnaissance unit, they worked in every front of the war.

And finally Earth was a special tactics force, made of hackers, reformed thieves, security specialists and expert military technicians of different fields. They were tasked with infiltration and extraction operations, sabotage and to simply lower enemy morale in any means necessary.

I, Xuiying, Zechs and several special forces troops from the EU and Scandinavia were embedded with them for this operation. I'm proud to say Xuiying and I belonged to the Water corps. While Zechs was second in command of Wind.

Originally, Serpent tail was to make up the remainder of the force. However they were apparently busy with another client. So another was hired, the duo of Pierce and Vincent.

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"**Red Tango-Charlie, Red Tango-Charlie, what is your status?" **

I called as I prepared my AMU-103 Aries for Black Avalanche.

The AWACS plane pilot responds, "This is Red Tango-Charlie, I read you. Zero bogeys up here, you're clear for operation."

"Copy that Red Tango, over."

"I'll give you a holler if things change. Good luck down there, Red Tango out."

"Thanks," I switch the radio to another frequency. "Kanbei, Natsumi, you guys ready?"

"I'm good to go," Kanbei's Aries walked to my right side.

"Same here," Natsumi said to my left in Aries. "I'll do my best Noin-sifu"

Natsumi Mitarashi was one of the more younger members of the Spartans. She started off at the Spartans fresh from boot camp, a fish out of water. And yet she had beaten more promising candidates in becoming a Spartan. What she lacked in talent, she made up for sheer determination and hard work. Being from the Wind corps, she was good in aerial combat and an excellent support wingman. She was also an avid martial arts practitioner, because of this she had a habit of calling her superiors "Master" or "Sifu." She was almost like a younger physical mirror of her friend Xuiying who was also a martial artist. Like Xuiying, her dark brunette hair was braded and her turquoise blue eyes had the same striking quality to them, along with an impression of perkiness and natural curiosity.

"Alright then" I detract the wings of the Aries' flight pack. "Let's move out."

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"**There she is," Natarle said as they approach Artemis as she and Antonio looked out from a window. **

Antonio looked at the fortress, and then shook his head. "For all their brilliant technology, why did they bother using it this useless rock?"

"You mean that barrier of theirs?" Antonio had mentioned to her that the base had a defense barrier called 'The Umbrella of Artemis.' It was supposed to virtually impenetrable, not even nuclear weapons could dent it.

She shrugged, "Who knows… Maybe it's to show the Atlantic Federation the strength of Eurasia,"

"Or the lack of strategic prowess of its military leaders," Antonio flatly commented.

She smirked, "That too."

"You must really don't like Eurasians."

"Actually," Antonio lights a cigarette. "It's the opposite. I have a lot respect for them, they're a resilient people. You'd be amazed how technologically superior they are compared to even Orb. If they give more time, money and effort to their economy and private sectors they would have been ahead of the Atlantic Federation."

"How can you be so sure," Natarle said. Being from the Atlantic Federation, she had pride for her nation, naturally she'd defend it even in a debate. "You and I know that the Eurasian government is one of the most corrupt in the world."

"Eurasia is also one of the fastest growing potential economies in the world, already overtaking the Kingdom of Scandinavia, Orb and the Oceanic union in trade."

"Pfft… Sure that's what statistics say but does that explain the extreme poverty in some regions?"

Antonio points at her, "Now that's a problem of corruption. That sometimes doesn't reflect the economic climate."

"Take the Atlantic Federation for instance, it's still got a good economy but its scandals galore over there. I lost count on how many senators are involved with organized crime or cheating wives."

Natarle's eyes darken as she scowled. "That was below the belt Antonio," She accused.

He simply grins, "Hey give call them as I see them."

She glares at him, "Y-You slippery… At least they try to look decent, you god damn two timer!" She yelled.

This took Antonio by surprise, "Wha-! What hell are talking about?-! I haven't been seeing anybody else?-! At least lately anyway…!"

"Oh don't play dumb with me!" Natarle growled, "It's that Kajiura woman! You two have been sticking close each other since we left Heliopolis! Do you think I'm blind not to notice that?-!"

Antonio stares at her a moment, "Wait a minute, you mean Miyuki?" A smile formed in his face.

Confused by his reaction, Natarle said. "Yes. What are you smiling about?"

He holds himself so as not to burst out of laughter. Natarle never met Miyuki until Heliopolis, neither knew much of the other.

"Natarle," He snickered. "Miyuki is my cousin."

Needless to say, she thoroughly was embarrassed when she heard this.

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**Several miles offshore of Odessa, **

Three ships similar to the Archangel though smaller hovered in a delta formation. The ships were the first of a new class of light assault/ escort carriers, the Skiold class. They are smaller versions the Archangel and Izumo classes created the same time as the larger ships. Designed for speed and maneuverability, the Skiolds are capable of matching ZAFT's Nazca classes in those traits. They had all the features of their larger cousins except for the Lohengrin positron canons.

Inside the Skiold-class "Javelin", Nathaniel Wolfthorne stood patiently in the bridge. "Faust this Kingfisher, has Eagle given a confirmation yet?"

"Affirmative," Master Pierce Rayer's voice replied. "They received report from Red Tango Charlie, we are good to go."

"Copy that," Nathaniel answered. "You may proceed."

"Roger that, Faust out." Rayer sat in his suit overlooking the Eurasian base. He was the only one on the field using long wave radio, to avoid interception everyone else used short wave. Pierce's was the only communication to the Javelin.

He quickly switches frequencies, "All units, commence operation."

At the same time Nathaniel issues an order to the Javelin's CIC, "Order the raiding parties to launch."

"Yes sir!"

Six AMU-103 Aries mobilesuits were launched from the Siegfried. The Aries was an aerial workhorse, used extensively by the Scandinavians, Equatorials and UNAAF. They were slightly more agile and versatile compared to the AMF-101 DINN.

The hangar doors of two of the three Skiolds opened launching several amphibious mobilesuits. There were three types, UCMU-108 Pisces, UCMU-106 Cancer and EUMS-Mk107 Stingray.

Cancer and Pieces were rolled out the same time in the year 69CE during the last month of the Eurasian-Pacific war, both inflicted grievous casualties to East Asian and Eurasian ships that dare to sail anywhere in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Cancer was made purely for underwater while the Pisces can trend on land. Both are capable of off-shore ballistic missile and anti-ship warfare.

The Stingray was a newer and much more complex model, rolled out a year after the war. It was very unusual but effective suit, excellent for close combat in amphibious assaults. Unlike the Cancer and Pisces it does not transform, it remains in the same form while on land or water. Though it seems bulky, the Stingray is very agile on both. It resembles that of a two large-legged dinosaur without a tail, its delta-shaped head had two ominous looking blue eyes, It hands were tucked inside a compartment, leaving just the upper arms visible giving the impression of chicken wings. Most of its weapons were concealed inside the Stingray's body showing themselves only when needed via vents or panels. The weapons that did show were the missile launchers on its shoulders. The Stingray was better known simply as the "Ray."

"Commander, the raiding party have been launched."

Nathaniel nods, "Good."

"This may turn into a long night," He murmurs to himself. "Have my Tallgeese ready just in case."

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**Lt. Colonel Le Saint Claire and Ensign Badgiruel entered the bridge.**

"We inspected all the different departments," the Lt. Colonel reported. "The Archangel's pretty shipshape, none too many problems."

Ensign Badgiruel nods at this, "Everything is in working order ma'am."

Murrue nods, "Thank you, to the both of you."

"Nice to hear that things are going fine with the ship," Lt. La Flaga as he entered the bridge. He salutes at Murrue. "Captain, the Zero and all the mobilesuits are ready to go in case of another battle."

Murrue salutes back to him, "Thank you Lieutenant."

"Captain," Antonio began. "I wanted to discuss about our destination."

She looked at him, "Artemis? What about it Lt. Colonel?"

It was the Eurasian fortress located in L3, facing directly opposite to the moon. It had no significant roll in the war so far so it was largely undamaged. Though the Archangel did not have any serious shortages, they all decided to go there to resupply anyway. And maybe even get some additional personnel since the ship was still undermanned.

"I want to move the Chimera, Siginarugan and both Wyverns to the Basilisk."

Lt. La Flaga raised an eyebrow, "You don't trust the Eurasians Ant?"

"I have this gut feeling," He answered. "I'm the Spartan of Waves remember? I don't think they'll be happy seeing me."

La Flaga nods, "You got a point."

"So you'll stay out here in the Basilisk?" Ensign Badgiruel asked, "What if the Eurasians suspect something?"

"We'll pretend to turn away," He answered. "As though we were just escorting the Archangel then we'll turn on our jammers. The Basilisk is equipped with latest RJU equipment."

Lt. Ramius thought for moment, "Okay, let's do it."

Antonio nods, "We'll move immediately."

"I'll have to go talk to the kid," Mu followed him.

"Captain," Le Saint Claire looked at her before he left. "Watch your back when you're in there."

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**There was a major joint naval-air force base just southwest of Odessa.**

This base supported the one north of Odessa, sending reinforcements when the northern base is under attack. Nathaniel needed to keep these forces from responding to north base's calls.

"Commander," the petty officer manning the radar called out. "There are a number of mobile units coming form the sea!"

The commander of the base, a Lt. Commander with apparently too much free time jumped out of his seat.

"What!" He yelled, "Can you identify who're they from? How many are there?"

"I can't specify sir, they're using some kind of jamming device."

The commander shook his head, "Call the Delta installation, and ask for reinforcements."

After a few moments, the communications officer calls out, "Sir I can't get to them!"

"What!" The commander holds his head, wondering what to do. "Scramble our fighters! Alert the fleet!"

**Just as the base's commander issues that order, the Cancers surface just a mile from the base.**

"Commence firing," the unit leader ordered. The backs of each mobile had two missilepods, they tint up slightly then began launching.

At the same time, the Aries's began their strafing runs, shooting at the ships.

The Rays reach the harbor first, making their presence known by jumping out of the water. Some began firing their CIWS and heavy machineguns at the hastily set defenses of missile trucks. A Ray bends down to fire its missiles at a building several linear tanks were stored.

Another Ray also bends but not to fire missiles, a compartment at the bottom of the head opens as though it were a mouth. A pair of magnet-looking pieces stuck out of the 'mouth.' It turns to the direction of a missile truck and fires a wave of extremely loud sound, so loud that the truck's windshields, windows and electronics shattered.

The special ops Rays detached carrying cases that were attached on the back where one 300mm. M17A2 Missilepod was supposed to be, They contained either a 175mm. M19 Beamrifle, 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher or a MKE16 Assault rifle.

They made short work of the base's frontline defenses.

The Pisces support them as they came out of the water, firing short range missiles over the Rays' heads.

"Don't advance too far," one of the Ray pilots ordered. "We're only gonna be here for a little while."

The pilot turns his radio on, "Kingfisher, this is Raider one, objective complete we are now on stand by."

"This is Kingfisher, good job Raider one. Just hold out for a while out there."

"Copy that, Raider one out."

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"**Okay boys, let's roll out!"**

Rayer's TMF/A-802 JC/A1 BuCUE Jackal dashes through the snow-covered field in front of the base, followed by four other BuCUE Jackals. The Jackal was a BuCUE variant used by the two neutral nations and UNAAF. Aside from its usual ranged armaments, it was equipped with several beam sabers and two armor jaegers.

Just as Rayer's unit reaches the gates, a battery of EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire fireflies led by Simon West began firing their linear guns at the base.

"Okay lads! Fire away!"

The effect was devastating, most of the base's fixed defenses on the side Rayer's unit was on were obliterated after several volleys.

The Fireflies' accurate targeting was assisted by the radome carried by one of the BuCUEs.

This did not stop a column of linear tanks that try to block entrance.

The tactic merely made Pierce smile.

"Hey Zechs," He looks at the BuCUE on his left cockpit. "Check it out. Do they actually think that'll stop us?"

The older Spartan looks at the column and shook his head, "They're desperate, looks like they're trying to buy time, there must be something very important here if they're almost willing to die for it."

"Well, sorry for them." Pierce's increases his speed and lowers its head, two armor jaeger blades detract at the bottom of the head. The beamsabers on his BuCUE's head and sides activated. "But I have a job to do!"

The two blades pierce into one tank. Rayer then lifts the head, taking the tank with it. The tank flew upwards like as though it were a toy as Rayer runs through, cutting a tank on both of his sides.

Merquise fires his railgun and hits two tanks, one flips over landing on its turret. He then jumps on top of another, crushing it. The other BuCUEs dispatched the tanks with similar ease.

After taking out the remaining tanks, resistance on their side of the base was minimal, reduced to largely small arms fire and the occasional rocket propelled grenade.

The BuCUE Jackals began firing at the different buildings to silence the surviving resistance.

Rayer switches on his radio, "Faust to Entry team, initial objective achieved, our side is largely clear."

"Roger that Faust," Sally's voice replied. "We're on our way."

"Pierce," Zechs radioed. "Should we move in now?"

"Might as well," he answered.

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**We flew our Aries's low on to the base to avoid the AA fire.**

Aside from missile trucks and attack helicopters, there weren't any significant threats against us. The linear tanks couldn't fire at a high angle and when we get in their gun's range we could easily dodge their shots.

As we got to the small airfield on the east end…

"Noin-sifu," Natsumi called out. "Spearhead down to your right!"

I quickly dived, the sudden rush of g-force almost made me pass out, barely dodging the Spearhead's missiles. As it rises upward, I aim my beamrifle and shotgun, and then pulled the triggers. The fighter disintegrates in mid-air.

Two other spearheads went for me, flying side by side.

I place my guns onto the racks on my sides and pull out the new beamsabers, I swung them both at each one, cutting their wings.

These weapons weren't yet standard issue, and since they were manufactured exclusively for the military, I had to get special permission to use them.

I fought the first half in the Euro-Pac war in a Leos which was slightly better for air combat than the Legionnaire Dragonfly. When the Aries was introduced, I immediately loved it, it was specifically made for air combat. Though there was a snag, the standard model doesn't have a melee weapon.

Yes I know it's not necessary but after being in a Leos for so long, you'll feel a little uncomfortable without it. I tried placing a heavy sword then a Heathawk but they produced so much drag which drastically slows me down. Until I got the sabers, I was stuck with Armor Schneiders which I'm not really good in using.

I sighed, "Thanks Natsumi."

"You're welcome sifu."

I look down the Eurasian defenders attempt to get more Spearheads up in the air.

"Guys, don't let any of them get into the air!"

"Roger!"

Kanbei began firing his gunlauncher, wrecking the runway. Spearheads can't take off vertically, while Natsumi and I targeted the spearheads themselves.

After several passes, I finally called in.

"Eagle to Faust, airfield's been neutralized. We're heading your way."

"This is Faust, we read you Eagle, C'mon over."

I shook my head as looked at the wrecked spearheads down below. I was expecting a better challenge from them, since I found out the pilots in this base were from the same air wing as Regina. She would make for a much better challenge this. This was more or less a turkey shoot.

"Follow my lead!" I yelled as we flew close to the ground. "And keep on your toes."

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"**Chimera, you're clear for launch." Mir called.**

"Roger that, Antonio Le St. Claire, Chimera launching."

The Chimera flies out to the Basilisk, where the Siginarugan and the two wyverns waited.

"Good luck Archangel," Antonio radioed.

As the Chimera neared the Basilisk, Drake class launches a lifeline, a long hollow line that relays power and air from the ship to the mobile suit that attaches it joining the others on the side of the Basilisk.

The Chimera grabs it and attaches it to the port on its right side.

"So," Mike said. "What now?"

"We wait," He answered simply.

He turned his frequency, "Captain, time to 'pull out,' pump those jammers to maximum."

"Yes sir." Steven replied.

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**I looked at Artemis as it disappeared from my view.**

I sighed, suddenly feeling myself turning homesick. After all, Eurasia was my home. I missed my brother, two sisters and my parents, I don't know what happened to them, and hopefully they were doing well.

Even after I defected.

During the Eurasian-Pacific war, I fought on the Pacific front. I was an F-7D Spearhead pilot back then, but even then I had notoriety. I was one of the few pilots who consistently destroyed mobile suits and enemy fighters. No one has ever beaten me, earning me the name, "Winged Fury."

I was undefeated in the air.

That was until that day… I met her in the flesh. Lucrencia Noin of the Water Corps… the one saved me when I defected.

**Two years ago, South China Sea**

"Lucrencia Noin of the Water Corps I presume?"

Regina started off things by strafing over Noin's Aries and firing her 20mm. machineguns.

The Aries dodges the shots and returns fire with its 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle.

"I suppose you're the one they call the 'Winged Fury?'"

"The same," Regina answered.

"I see…" Noin replaces the clip of her rifle. "And yes, I'm Lucrencia Noin."

"It's an honor to meet you," Regina launches the first attack. "Too bad I have to take you down!"

"Don't expect me to hold back!" Noin answered.

"I never expected you to!"

Both climb up onto the air, both attempted to get behind the other.

Noin manages to get behind her but she was a good distance away. In this situation, rookie pilots would have fired all out but being a former fighter pilot herself, she knew better.

If Regina Alexis Dante was as good as they say she was she would easily dodge any attack coming from this distance.

They continued to maneuver around each other, shooting only to throw off the other.

Anyone watching would agree that these two pilots were some of the best.

Both Regina and Lucrencia were aces, both were taught the Dicta Boelcke. The fundamental tactics of air combat that remained unchanged since they have been created by a German fighter ace Oswald Boelcke during the First World War. These tactics applied well even in these times of jet fighters and mobile suits.

Regina launches two missiles to make her opponent dive. She then climbs up to the clouds, at a certain point she stops and tilts the Spearhead's nose down, aiming at the Aries.

"Look out below!"

She increases her thrust as she dove down. Her fighter broke the sound barrier as she sped down. She launches three sidewinders.

Noin just barely dodges the attack with sudden barrel roll. She retaliates by flying sideways with Regina's fighter and fires her assault rifle.

"Try this on for size!"

Regina utilizes her jet's hover ability and suddenly turns toward Noin firing her machineguns while moving sideways in high speed.

"What?-!" Noin dives to dodge the rest of the fire.

"Gotcha!" Regina crowed as she closely tails Noin's Aries.

"Game over" She declared, firing her remaining missiles.

But just as she did, the Aries suddenly climbs, turning almost ninety degrees.

"What in the-!" Regina watches helplessly as the Aries cruised over her toward her back.

"Well played," Noin fires two sidewinders.

"Damn!" Regina manages to dodge one, but was hit by the other.

Lucrencia was about to fire another salvo, but then the low power alarm went off.

She was astonished, no fighter had ever lasted long enough to set off the alarm. Her astonished look was then replaced with a smile.

"Hey Fury," Noin began. "I'm impressed, what they say about you is true."

"So is what they say about you," Regina answered. "And I guess my road ends here. Do it, I'm ready."

Noin shook her head, "Sorry, If I'll kill you, I may never have a worthy opponent again."

Regina raises an eyebrow, "You're letting me go? That may be the death of you someday."

"Maybe," Noin shrugged. "We'll meet again Fury."

Noin breaks off and head back to her base.

Regina smiled as the Aries disappear, "I hope so myself."

**Me and Regina went at it for months, until the final days of the war.**

In a way, we became friends, even though we never actually saw each other face to face.

Until one day just a week before Operation Valkyrie, the assault of Kaohsiung… When my squad was on the Tarawa-class "Sumatra" patrolling the Luzon strait.

It started out normally, nothing unusual. But when it was about quarter to nine, our ship detected squadron of spearheads heading south possibly to Luzon. We scrambled to intercept it.

When we made contact, I notice they were in an unusual formation. One fighter was way ahead of the others. When I got a little closer to it I noted it was damaged that's when I realized that the other fighters were chasing it down.

My squad easily dispatched the chasers and we began to track the runner, which was probably a defector.

The Spearhead had crashed in a small island on the Babuyan Island chain.

When we got there, we saw the pilot just a few meters from the wreckage as we circled it.

I landed a little distance away, and got off my mobile suit to check on the pilot.

Imagine my surprise when I realized the defector was none other than Regina.

She was badly wounded, blood was present on her forehead and she seemed to be pulling herself over the sand.

When she saw me, she drew her weapon.

"You're not bringing to back!" She yelled, aiming straight at me. "I'd die first before you'll take me back!"

I held my hands up to chest level, "Regina. It's me Noin. I'm not going to hurt you. Put the gun down."

"Don't move!" She tries to pull herself away from with one hand. I could see her face twist in pain, she broken something.

"Regina, you're hurt-!"

She fires a shot at my feet, "I said don't move!"

Regina continues to pull herself despite the pain, "You're… you're not taking me… you're not t-taking me back…"

She repeated those words over and over. That's when I noticed she was breathing so fast, as though she difficulty breathing. At first, I thought her lungs were punctured, but when saw the tears in her eyes, the way she was moving and how her hand shook. I realized something.

She was scared.

"Regina," I decided to walk toward her. "You need help, you're going to die if someone doesn't treat those wound."

"Stay away!" She points the gun at me again.

I looked her in the eyes, they full of pain, fear and most of all grief.

She fires her gun several more times.

One of my squad members, a young Malaysian pilot, who had came fired his own gun.

Regina screamed as she fell to the ground.

I turned to the Malaysian, "You idiot! Hold your fire!"

I ran toward her side, checking her for where she was hit. The bullet had struck her in the arm.

When I held her, I could feel her shivering.

She looked at me, "Lucrencia… please… kill me… I don't want to go back…"

I shook my head, "You know I can't do that."

Her eyes widened, "Are… are you taking me back…?"

I shook my head again, "No I won't now, calm down."

I held Regina's hand tight, "I won't take you back there. I promise."

"Everything will be okay."

**I called a chopper from the Sumatra, we dusted off the island without any trouble.**

I rode with her in the chopper, I figured she needed someone she could trust.

"Why did you defect?" I asked her.

She looked at me, the paramedics had given her a sedative so she was calm. "Defect…? I… just wanted to get away…"

"Away from who?"

She didn't answer, simply looked away.

I decide not to push further, "Well, what ever you were trying to do. Your best option right now is to declare defection, or else we may have to execute you."

Regina looked out the window, which was coincidently facing north. To Eurasia, her home.

"Defection huh?" She replied glumly. "I guess I don't have a choice."

A few days later she formally declared her defection to the Eurasian Federation. She answered the reason why, with a very common reason used by most defectors from Eurasia or East Asia.

From my knowledge, she never told anyone even me why she defected, even now.

"**Regina," Michael called me.**

"Huh?" I shook my thoughts off and turn the radio on.

"What is it?"

Michael's face appeared onscreen, I didn't like the look on his face.

"We just got a signal from Luke," He answered. "Something's wrong."

I frowned, "That's not good."

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**The Archangel had finally got through the Umbrella of Artemis.**

Everyone thought they were safe now, they thought wrong.

Several Eurasian soldiers stormed the Archangel, and had begun to take control of the entire ship, right under the ship's officers' noses.

On the bridge, the Eurasians storm in, a man who looked like a commander stood in the center.

Each bridge member was being covered by at least one soldier.

"Commander! What is the meaning of this?-!" Murrue protested.

The commander, a large man with strange scars on his face, looked at her.

"Be silent Captain."

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**A/N:** I like to start by thanking the guys who read and reviewed -and also those who just read- my fic. Right now I just begun reading Solid Shark's Birds of a Feather, damn, it is good. I'm planning to check out Brothers in Arms after I'm done with it.

Boy, I am now really intimidated to continue my own fic.

Well part one's done with plenty of things to expect on part two. There's plenty of info on the Spartan Guard and some of my OCs, and I introduce more of my cast. And for those who're wondering why I'm even bother writing the parts in Ukraine, Let's just say they're going to find more than they're bargaining for and something that's complicate the Archangel's situation later in Africa will be found here.

The fight scenes with Regina and Noin were a headache, jet fighters can only do so much against mobile suits. Thank God I helped write an Area 81, a Swat Kats and a Yukikaze fanfic before.

And what the heck was she about saying about not going back? Answers will be given in part two.

And what's this? Heine making an early appearance? It was my buddy's suggestion that I get him into the act, since he's got so little screen time in Destiny. I don't have much use for him, so he may just stick around until the Archangel makes entry.

And for the record, I'm not convinced myself that Natarle won't realize that Miyuki is Antonio's cousin. It's not like her. But that's resolved now, however they're still going to be at odds with each other.

By the way, does anybody notice the big fat reference to MGS2: Sons of Liberty?

And Finally, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! This may be my last chapter for this year, but I'm currently half way through part two. Hopefully, I may post part two and the next Mech head just before New Year.

Maligayang Pasko at Bagong Taon mga kabayan!

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**Glossary:**

**Dust-off** – military slang for evacuate

**Dicta Boelcke** – (Dick-ta, Ball-ka) a list of fundamental tactics of air combat formulated by the first great German flying ace of the First World War, Oswald Boelcke (Baron Manfred von Richthofen aka the Red Baron idolized this guy). Many modern flyers still see his _Dicta_ as relevant today as it was during the Great War.


	9. Phase7: Tears of Eurasia part two

**A/N: **Now it's time to trash Artemis and introduce my first two major antagonists and a little more info on Regina's past. I did some major cosmetic changes on the last chapter, those who got confused with the last version may want to look at it first.

**Phase 07: Tears of Eurasia part two**

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"**Damn it!"**

Yzak punches the wall of when he was told what they had been tracking.

It was yet another decoy.

"Damn UN bastards! Why the hell did they stick their noses into this!"

"Calm down Yzak," Rusty said to him. "Getting angry isn't going to help us find the legged ship."

"Shut up!"

"Well at least that's the last of the decoys heading straight to the moon," Dearka commented.

"That only leaves the legged ship two other possible destinations." Nicol looks over the report, "Earth or Artemis."

"There's a fleet gathering on Earth's orbit," Dearka reads another copy of the report. "Maybe they'll head there."

Rusty shook his head, "Actually, Commander Le Creuset left us with instructions to head to Artemis if we don't find them here. Half of our reinforcements will take care of Earth."

Dearka looked at him, "Artemis? Why bother going there. It's just some rock in the middle of L3."

"It's an Alliance base for starters and they need to resupply somehow."

"Well one thing's for sure," Yzak said with a still furious tone. "We'll have better chances of getting the Strike with Athrun gone."

Nicol and Rusty looked at him with disapproval.

"Yeah," Dearka nods, "And may be take down one of those UN suits"

"Too bad Miguel had to go too though," he added.

Miguel and his custom ginn were moved to the Vesalius for repairs and to attend the inquiry.

"This time," Yzak declared. "We'll get the Strike."

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"**This is Entry team," Sally Po radioed in. "We're moving."**

Simon West presses to the transmit button of his radio, "Copy that, stand by for H&I Entry team."

"Okay boys," Simon barked to the battery. "The target is now foxtrot quadrant, set your assigned coordinates now!"

"Yes sir!"

After several seconds, one pilot radioed in. "Number 4 set!"

Then another, "Number 8 set!"

After all the pilots called in, Simon gives the order.

The Firefly battery once again roared to life, this time firing at a closer target.

**Sally watched the shells hit their target.**

The battery was using mix of high explosive and fragmentation shells.

The HE is to shatter hard targets like the pill boxes, automatic gun turrets and tanks, while the fragmentation was to take personnel and soft targets in a wider area.

"Poor bastards…" She mumbled.

Aside from being second in command of Earth corps, Sally also served as the corps' medical officer during the war.

She has seen what fragmentation shells can do, flying in the air in about 500 mph or even faster, slashing through flesh with very little effort. In those days there was no shortage of troops and even sometimes civilians hit by shrapnel.

If they were lucky, they would walk away with a few nasty looking scars and a bad memory.

Some of the people she had treated didn't have that kind of luck, a good number of them couldn't walk anymore. They lost limbs, usually reduced to little disfigured stubs of flesh or they were so badly damaged there was no alternative but amputation.

Sally remembers the screams, the cursing…

…the excruciating pain she saw in the faces of bright, young, once whole soldiers, fighting for their lives, a battle some lost.

She takes a deep breath, giving herself time to shake off the feeling, and then exhales.

"Entry team, move in."

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"**This is Charlie three," A Eurasian Army captain yelled his radio. **

"We're near collapse, send us some damn support here!"

"We can't sir!" A man at the other end replied, "An enemy unit has destroyed the airfield and another has penetrated the base and attacking the motor pool."

The stunned captain shook his head, "I can't believe this, how many are there? How could they get pass through the outer Mediterranean Defenses?"

"Sir," one of his operators called out. "We have incoming from the rear!"

The captain turns to her, "What!"

"We have incoming from the rear sir, 3 BuCUEs, they're coming in fast!"

**Pierce cuts through several missile trucks with his beam sabers covering the BuCUE carrying the radome.**

Zechs takes out a nearby pillbox, he then fires his CIWS at a building that Intel identified as a TOC.

"Bullfrog, this is Faust," Pierce radio's in. "I got a Radome in position for you."

"Copy that," Simon responded and quickly switches the frequencies. "Entry team, expect a little extra fireworks coming for ya."

"I copy Bullfrog, send them in anytime."

Simon then switches to his unit's frequency. "We're gonna do a repeat performance on foxtrot. Arm the 155s!"

After the each member confirms before Simon gives the order, "Fire!"

Guided by the BuCUE radome, the battery fires a barrage of 115mm. missiles at different individual targets.

At the same time, the entry team, composed of five Legionnaire Scorpions, two Heavy Legionnaires and a Leos, began their assault. All of them over boosted toward the base, incoming fire was strong but rather easy to dodge.

Over boosting was an ability to move on a surface using boosters on the legs or a flightpack. It was like hovering with a V/TOL aircraft or helicopter except you a lot more body coverage to bear mind of.

It requires a good sense of control and excellent to utilize this ability to its fullest. Not very many people outside the EU, the Plants and Scandinavia have this ability.

The missiles overtook them and sailed over their heads. A few seconds later they struck their targets. The defensive line was reduced to rubble and scrap metal.

The entry team cuts through the remaining defenses without much trouble.

"**Hey guys," Noin called out from the air.**

"I believe we're supposed to infiltrate this place not frag it."

Pierce laughed, "'Carpe diem girl, carpe diem."

"Or basically, we're just born to raise hell." Zechs said with a smirk.

"Be thankful you actually did something," Jacques Leon, one of the other BuCUE pilots, commented.

"All I did so far is move around and dodging fire."

"Hey people, quit the bloody chatter," Simon snapped. "We still have work to do."

"Copy that," They all answered.

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"**I knew it," Antonio frowned as he gets news of what was happening in Artemis.**

He sets his radio's frequency, "Lt. Commander Halberton, proceed with the plan."

"I hear ya," The Drake-class' commander responded.

"LC," Regina's image appeared onscreen. "I'm going to scout out the other side."

He nods, "Make sure to equip the RJU attachment before you go."

"Copy that LC." Regina gets her suit equipped.

"LC," Wynn's image appeared on his screen.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"It's Regina, do you think it's a good idea to do this. She's been acting weird ever since she found out we're heading here."

Antonio shrugs, "It's her home."

"Yeah but…"

"It's her choice if she wants to go there."

"Sir… why did she defect Eurasia anyway?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I did, she'd dodge the question anyway she could."

He kept silent for a moment, "I'll tell you when this is over."

**Archangel's Infirmary**

Frank, Lucian and the UN guards stare at the Eurasian soldiers, they were just about to raise their weapons.

However, Naomi places a hand on one of them and shook her head. "Please stand down, for now."

The guards complied.

"Throw your weapons to the ground!" One soldier ordered. The guards did just that.

"Each of you, follow us." The same soldier told them, as one grabbed hold of Naomi's wrist with force.

She looked at the man, wincing, because he held it with a hard grip.

"You're coming with us." He told her, as she resisted a bit.

Just as when one soldier aimed a gun at her face, the UN guards step in between her and the Eurasians.

"The only reason," Frank growled. "I'm not about to bust your face in, is because my superior here will not approve of my actions."

"That goes for me as well." One of the other guards sneered, as a gun's barrel touched his head.

"Don't move." The Eurasian growled at him. "Who the hell is she anyway?"

"For starters, I'm the commanding officer of the UN troops currently stationed in this ship." Naomi told the soldier. "And I am also the current medical officer of this ship."

"She's a military surgeon and physician," one of the nurses spoke up. "She's needed here."

The leader of the small squad looked at her nodded.

"Alright, you and the medical personnel can stay, but the rest of you will come with me." The leader of the group told them, as the UN guards were escorted to the cafeteria.

"Thank you guys," Naomi calls out, Frank looks at her.

He nods with a smile.

"No problem boss, anytime." He answered they left the room.

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**In Artemis, on the bridge, the crewmen were being taken to the Cafeteria. **

Natarle looked an officer named Biddaulph, "Commander, why are you doing this?"

"I am simply only locking down the ships controls and weaponry." Biddaulph smirked, as Natarle glared at him.

"Locking down?" She asked him. "But this is. . ." She tried to tell him, as a soldier aimed his weapon at her.

"Your ship does not have any valid identification, nor does it have my forces own identification codes." Biddaulph explained to her.

"Considering the situation, I granted you permission to enter the port but. . ." he began to tell them, with a hidden agenda. "I can't recognize you as allies yet."

"But. . ." Natarle tried to protest.

"We are a military installation." Biddaulph told her, beginning to raise his voice. "I hope you will be able to understand that." He ordered.

If looks could kill, like the one Captain Murrue Ramius gave him, he would already be dead.

"Well then I would like you all to follow me." He told them. "I will fill all of you in on the situation."

They walked through the corridors of the Archangel, until they met Mu. Then went into a shuttle towards where Artemis' commander Rear Admiral Garcia awaited.

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"**The perimeter is secure," Noin radioed in as her unit circled the target building.**

Intel confirmed that this particular building was the only way to an underground facility directly under the base. Though it is where most of the files and records they were after were there, the real purpose of the facility was unknown.

The entry team's mobile suits stood in front of it, the left the safety of their cockpits, preparing themselves to move in. Sally's team wore a blue and black military uniform with balaclavas, a uniform synonymous to the most of the Atlantic Federation's special forces units. The unit was armed with MP5SD-N sub-machineguns and M4 Colt Commando assault rifles. Except Vincent, who still wore his grey suit, fedora and his white scarf, he was armed with a M9F Beretta modified to fire both semi and automatic and his nodachi, a type of very long katana, Karasu.

Vincent looks up, he saw ravens circling in the sky.

"They are sensing something…" He whispers to himself.

"I see your friends are out tonight." Sally commented as she too looks up, "What do they say."

Vincent kept quiet at first and then answers, "Something unexpected may happen soon."

Sally nods, "I guess it can't hurt to be a little careful."

"Hey," Pierce radioed as his unit came to them. "Don't take too long guys."

"Just keep things secure out here," Sally answered.

Rayer's unit makes a defense perimeter around the unmanned mobilesuits, "Copy that."

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**Garcia's office, Artemis**

"The Atlantic Federation, so this is their secret military project." Garcia mentioned looking at the mobile assault ship Archangel. "They really knew how to hide such a machine." he continued with a smirk.

"It seems that the earlier rumors about a ship in Heliopolis were true." his second in command commented.

"I'll have them take a long rest here." Garcia smirked with this.

"This is going to be good for our own units are they not?" He asked turning to his second on command and a woman beside him who wore the stripes of a Commander. Her brown eyes were expressionless and steely. Her sandy blonde hair was groomed in a standard military style.

"What do you think Lt. colonel Gurlukovich?"

"Yes, it would be." The woman answered, "Though it's a shame the UN units have left."

Garcia nods, "True, but you shouldn't complain on gifts that fall onto your lap."

She nods, "The Hyperion can still benefit quite well with the Atlantic federation's technology."

"Excuse me rear admiral, I have brought the three commanding officers here." A soldier called in.

"Okay, Enter." Garcia told them, as the three Earth Forces officers entered the room.

"Welcome to Artemis." Garcia told them, with a changed tone, as he looked through the three officers.

As they explained their stories, the rest of the crew of the Archangel, most of the UN personnel and the Heliopolis civilians were discussing matters in the cafeteria.

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**Regina eyes the Artemis as she cruises along the space debris in her wyvern. **

She sighs, according to the UN Intelligence Agency reports she was currently assigned here.

The woman who had taught Regina what she knew about air and space combat, the woman she once knew as a friend. Until that day, the day she had fled and defected.

"Commander…"

**She was known as the "Voyevoda", the woman warrior, my mentor, Lt. Colonel Ivana Gurlukovich.**

The former commander of my old unit during the war.

She taught me everything she knew, from the basics to the Dicta Boelcke to the ropes of advanced maneuvers. However this weren't the only skills she taught me, she trained me unarmed combat, marksmanship, wilderness survival, first aid, explosives handling. These were vital in my group. Our tasks went well beyond being just an air and space fighter unit.

We were the Special Warfare Division Unit 41 codename "Konig Kobra".

Like the name suggests we were a special operations group, each member was hand picked and rigorously trained.

We operated in any part of the world.

We did everything, and I do mean everything. Infiltration and extraction, reconnaissance, espionage, assassination, kidnapping and bombing.

All in the name of the state, all in the name of the Eurasian Federation.

**Before I was a member of the unit,**

I was just a regular grunt serving as an Intelligence NCO in the Balkans.

I did a few things that caught some attention, the one that changed my life was when my unit and I captured Kalash Abu Bakar, leader a notorious Chechen extremist and separatist group.

He was slick little bastard, I spent several months gathering information and chasing leads and dead ends. I almost gave up the search, until I struck gold.

Kalash was holed up in a small isolated farm not too far from Corabia along the banks of the Danube River. The capture was largely uneventful, the leader only had a couple of men with him. He quickly surrendered when the Jagdkommando stormed in.

News of the capture spread like wildfire, this was man who was wanted by so many yet no one ever caught him.

A few days later, then Maj. Ivana Gurlukovich came to my small office in Thessalonica.

And offered me a spot in the unit.

I'll never forget her words to me.

"Your talents shouldn't be wasted on a backwater assignment such this," She told me. "You have the perseverance and knack to be more than just a soldier."

She took me under her wing, treating me as an equal, not as a subordinate. She pushed me the hardest, spurring me on, urging me to work because she wanted me by her side because I had the most potential in her eyes.

We became close friends after a while, she was the closest thing to family in the military for me, she probably felt the same way for me. Any doubt to this was shattered the day I left Kaohsiung base for the last time.

It was still a little early in the morning, the guards that were supposed to be on duty were having breakfast.

There was virtually no one in the hangar to stop me as I walked to toward my fighter.

No one except Ivana, I found leaning against my fighter with her arms crossed.

She looked at me simply, as always she had a blank expression on face.

"Are you really sure about this?."

I nod to her, she gives me a good long look then spoke again.

"Try to calm yourself down, it'll affect your stamina if you're like that."

I was breathing fast with a cold sweat. I felt my heart beating hard, almost like it was trying a break out.

"I know…" I answered as I tried to slow my breathing down.

"Major…"

"What is it Regina?"

"How in the world did it end up this way?"

"I… I want to know that one myself."

**Ivana, me and several other pilots left Kaohsiung that day. **

We were quickly intercepted by another group of fighters.

They weren't normal air patrol, the whole unit composed of F-7E Super Spearheads a high performance but limited production model. They were much well armed compared to our F-7Ds. They were armed with 30mm. auto canons and carried a missile load 50 larger than ours. They were also much more maneuverable, all of them were colored black and red.

These guys had to be Special Forces like us, or probably from that paramilitary group designated 13th Autonomous mobile group.

Whoever they are, they were good. In just several minutes they took out all of the jets, except mine, Ivana's, Vincent's and two younger pilots.

"Regina! Vincent! Tyler! Yuri!" Ivana yelled through her radio, "Damnit… You guys get out of here, I'll try stalling them. That should give you a head start."

"Ma'am," I called out. "What about you! We've gone this far to lose you now!"

"Can't be helped Lieutenant," She answered me coolly. "Better one of us dying than all us. Regina, you're in charge now. Get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Get out of here 1st Lt. Dante and that's an order!" She snapped, "Don't make me shoot you myself!"

"But-!"

"Lt. Dante," Vincent radio to me. "We have to go."

"Those two kids with us are still pretty young," He told me. "Do you want them to die uselessly out her?"

In that moment I bit my lip, forcing myself to say to what I had to say.

"Team, on me, We're pulling out!"

No sooner when we left I saw explosion behind us, and from what I could tell, it was an F-7D that blew up.

I screamed out her name on the top of my voice.

**I… I'm sorry…**

I don't want to talk about what happened after that.

I want to end it there, if it's okay with you.

It's not really important right?

Thanks… really.

**I honestly thought she was dead until a couple of months ago. **

That's when SRI (Scandinavian Royal Intelligence) came across a Eurasian classified report of an operation with Ivana as the commander.

Apparently she was still in the military despite what happened. Heck, she was even promoted to Lt. Colonel.

Obviously, it doesn't make any sense.

Did she decide to just go with what the state's planning?

Or was she "extended?" The fate I may have ended up with if I haven't escaped.

As I returned to the Basilisk, I prayed it wasn't the latter.

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**"What the hell are you doing?" **

Murdoch yelled, as he entered the cafeteria, prodded by armed Eurasian with their guns.

He was followed by the Frank and UN guards from the infirmary, they quickly went to the side walls.

Various questions were being asked in the Cafeteria such as…

"What's going to happen to us?"

"They're not letting us go?"

"Why are they not explaining the situation?"

"Isn't Eurasia our ally?" Some earth forces personnel commented.

These were the various questions heard throughout the room.

"Do they have anything against the Atlantic Federation?" Sai asked one of the earth forces soldiers that were stationed among the Archangel, mainly Jackie.

"That's not truly the problem." Jackie answered him.

"The problem is that we don't have an identification code." Romero whined.

"Is that really that big of a problem?" Tolle asked them.

"Something like that. . ." Chandra answered him, who was just standing beside the teenager.

"The real problem lies elsewhere." One of the UN guards spoke to them as he lazily leaned against the wall.

"And where's that?" Tolle asked them.

"This ship is technically Orb's," Miyuki, who sat beside them, said. She happened to be wearing a mechanic's uniform when the Eurasians took over, so she was brought here instead of where the officers were, "And the Atlantic Federation's technology, which is very attractive to the Eurasians."

"That's pretty much what they're after that's for sure," Jethro commented who was the only one among them eating a time like this. "The two federations have been at odds with each other for years. It would be a tasty little score if they get info on the Strike."

"Mama…" Elle whispered, frightened by the sight of the armed Eurasian soldiers. "Are we going to okay?"

"Shhh…" Miyuki holds her daughter close, "It'll be fine honey, down worry."

_I hope that's the truth. _She thought to herself. _For our sakes._

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**Rear Admiral Garcia's office,**

"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, and Ensign Natarle Badgiruel." Garcia stated off as he looked at his computer screen. "I see… Your IDs are definitely of the Federation."

"We apologize for taking up your time." Mu told the elder officer.

"Its nothing to worry about Hawk of Endymion, yes, your glorious name has reached even my own ears." Garcia told the ace pilot. "I also took part in the battle of Grimaldi."

"Oh?" Mu said with a bit of surprise. "Admiral Villards unit?"

"Yes exactly right hawk." Garcia told him. "When we were on the verge of losing, everyone was very encouraged to continue on, hearing that you destroyed five enemy Ginns."

"Thank you, I think." Mu told him.

"But, I never expected to see you, appear on the ship. To think the Spartan of waves was in this same ship, not too long ago" Garcia commented, as he looked at Mu, "Such a turn of events."

Natarle frowned.

"Just what are you getting at Admiral Garcia?" She asked him. She was well aware that Garcia could have been a Vice Admiral in the Eurasian military if it were not for Antonio. Garcia was commander of the Eurasian Orbital fleet that was above Kaohsiung during the eve of the invasion. He had failed to intercept the Pacific Alliance's orbital descent units which were disguised as a Eurasian fleet.

As a result Garcia was denied further promotion and assigned to this backwater base.

"Nothing my guest, nothing at all." he told the black white haired officer. "However, its going to be difficult for us to provide you with supplies immediately."

"But we must head to the moon Headquarters as soon as possible." Murrue told him. "Even as we speak, we are still being pursued by ZAFT."

"ZAFT?" Garcia questioned looking at the captain. And with that, he hit a button, which on the screens behind his seat, lit up showing the Nazca class ship they have been fleeing. "As you can see, they are still outside the umbrella." Garcia informed the officers.

Murrue, Mu and Natarle frowned.

That Nazca-class wasn't following them when they got here…

"They have been there ever since you arrived, and even if they had an armada of ships, they won't be able to penetrate the umbrella." He smirked turning back to his guests. "But even if you get your supplies now, you wont be able to go anywhere with them lying in wait."

"Well, we're what they're after. Waiting like this, could have this base in danger." Mu told him.

Garcia lets out a hardy laugh, "Danger you say?" Garcia continued to laugh.

"Is this shield really that strong for you to be so confident?" Mu asked.

"Well, Lt. Flaga, They can't do anything to the base, as long as the shield is up, with its full barrier mode, they can't touch the base, even Nuclear Weapons would not be able to penetrate it." Garcia laughed as he told them, Mu only stared at him.

"They will leave eventually, it's always like that." Garcia told his guests.

"But Commander, they. . ." Mu tried to tell him but Garcia raises his hand to silence the Lieutenant.

"No matter, In any case, I want you to rest for a while." He told them. "You all seem very tired from your journey, I will have a room prepared for you."

"Commander, but. . ." Mu tried, but was interrupted by the rear admiral.

"Private, please escort our guests to their rooms." Garcia told the soldier that just came into the room.

"**This isn't good," Mu began pacing as the Eurasian guard locked the door.**

"That Nazca-class wasn't following us, which means either it's just a ship doing reconnaissance or Rau figured out where we are."

"Hopefully it's the former," Natarle said as she tried the door, "Looks like they're planning to keep us here longer than we intend to."

Murrue shook her head, "We shouldn't have come here…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Hidden among the debris outside Artemis**

"Damn," Antonio mumbled.

"Looks like they figured where we were going," Michael comment. "We should've expected much from Rau Le Creuset.

"Well… Look at the bright side." Antonio rubbed his temples, "There aren't as many ships as they could have been."

They watch the Laurasia-class Miyuki identified as the Gamow meet up with the Nazca-class that hovered along the Umbrella's boundary.

The Zaft ships couldn't detect them thanks to the new jamming equipment, created by Integral Dynamics originally for the Highwind Stealth bomber project, it could virtually jam every current radar and sensor equipment in use by both OMNI-Enforcer and Zaft.

"Two ships…" He mumbles, "Counting spare suits they have in storage… that would make about 16 mobilesuits max… with at least two G-units in the Gamow. And if Artemis decides to join the mix, more or less 50 mobile armors."

"I don't like those numbers Ant," Mike replied.

"Yeah… our best bet for minimum casualties is to wait out who'll make the first move."

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**"So, they're still hiding behind the Umbrella, huh?"**

Yzak stared at the situation map in disgust. "We can't get through it, and they can't get out of it."

"A standoff," Dearka remarked. "So what's the strategy then? Kick back until they come out?"

"The problem is Artemis' light-wave barrier," Nicol pointed out. "Could we ask Commander Hawke for help?"

"We don't need help," Yzak waved off. "We could have handled this ourselves... if we can just get past that barrier."

Rusty stares at him, "Handle it ourselves? Get real man, they have more mobile suits than us, a really tough ship and not to mention that barrier they have out there."

"And it never goes down as long as hostile forces are in the area," Captain Zelman, Gamow's commanding officer said. "And since it's impenetrable to all known weapons..."

"As a matter of fact..." Nicol said slowly, "I have an idea."

He tapped the display's controls, bringing up the specifications for his machine. "My mobile suit, the Blitz, is equipped with a system known as Mirage Colloid. It uses colloid gas particles to render the machine invisible to visual, infrared, and radar scanning. This is the same technology the UN mobilesuits used several times in Heliopolis."

"You mean when they just disappeared?" Rusty asked.

"Exactly," He looked up. "If we take the Gamow and Lee out of Artemis' immediate vicinity, they'll lower the Umbrella. Once they do that, I can go in with the Blitz and take down the shield generators, thus clearing a path for you guys."

"It could work," Dearka admitted. _As much as I don't like the underhanded approach…_

They hadn't always agreed on the subject of tactics, but he had to admit, Nicol's plan was reasonable and their best and probably only option. And besides, he was itching for some action.

Yzak had similar thoughts, like Dearka, he was also fed up of waiting for the legged ship to come out.

"All right, then. Nicol, get ready; make sure you take out those generators, and we'll be right behind you."

"Watch it out there Nicol," Rusty punched the green haired pianist on the shoulder. "Don't get too caught up with being a hero. Remember, we're a team."

"Got it."

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"**Heine," Leona enters his room with no warning.**

"Saddle up, we're being called to prepare for a sortie."

Heine got up his bunk, "Huh? What going on? I thought we were supposed to wait for the legged ship leave Artemis?"

"That was supposed to be it," She replied. "But apparently someone at the Gamow has a bright idea."

She quickly explains Nicol's stratagem as they walked down the hallway.

"A sneak attack huh?" Heine held his coat over his shoulder since they were going to change to spacesuits anyway. "I don't envy the poor schmuck whose going to spearhead this."

"That poor schmuck is one of the pilots of the captured suits, from what I hear it's going to use some special jammer or something."

Heine looks forward, "Well in any case, this will beat waiting around for the legged-ship to come out."

"Yeah," Leona smirks, "And for once we aren't the ones doing the work."

Heine laughs, "That too, that too."

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**In the Archangel, Garcia had gone for a little visit.**

Miyuki, the Archangel crew and the UN soldiers warily looked upon him, accompanied by his aide, Lt. Colonel Gurlukovich and the two Eurasian soldiers who continued to guard the door and two others.

No one knew what the commander was doing here, however, they all had a good idea what he was indeed after.

"I believe the pilot of the Strike is somewhere amongst you all, so where is the pilot?" Garcia calls out.

Kira was stirred by the comment, but Murdoch stopped the teen. "Lt. Mu La Flaga was piloting the Strike."

"A nice try, but your very own instruments say that the Moebius Zero was involved in the fighting," the admiral commented with a smile. "Since the Hawk of Endymion is the only one here who can use the wired gunbarrels, it was obviously someone else."

He stepped farther into the room, and his eyes moved to Mir.

"Of course," Garcia murmured. "Who would expect a girl like you to be the pilot? An interesting ploy, indeed. Come with me," he commanded, voice no longer conversational. He grabs her by the arm, Mir yells.

"Such young pilots these days," He looks at her then at Sai.

Kira had enough, having his friends harassed because of him.

"Leave them alone, I'm the pilot of the Strike." Kira announced.

Garcia looked at him, almost angry, with all these people telling him they were the pilot.

He then smiled, looking at Kira, as he came over to the young pilot. "Oh really, I do admire you protecting them, however, that machine wasn't designed for the likes of you."

"If I would not be the pilot why would you accuse her?" Kira countered.

Garcia threw a punch at the young teen. Kira used his reflexes, side stepping the punch, grabbing the man's wrist and using the inertia of the admiral to send him to the floor.

Gurlukovich raises an eyebrow with interest as she saw Kira moved.

"I did not do anything to justify you getting angry, and hitting me!" Kira called out.

"Why you little punk," Garcia's aide went for Kira.

However, Miyuki steps in, stopping the punch, and delivers a left hook to the man's jaw, then links a devastating elbow strike to the neck, the aide reels back in pain from the blow. She finishes with a right knee to the groin and then a left uppercut to the chin. He falls down to the floor.

Gurlukovich studies the way Miyuki moved as she delivered each blow.

"Don't you dare threaten any of these kids again," She growled in an absolutely cold voice.

"Who the hell are you?" Garcia demanded, as she turns to face him.

"I happen to be their friend..." Miyuki answered, as the armed soldiers took aim.

"So…" She gives them a strange eerie look with her blue eyes. The tone of the blue almost resembled that of cold platinum steel.

"Who's next?" She growled.

Unbeknownst to her, Gurlukovich flicks her wrist, a dagger slips out of her sleeve.

But before she could do anything with it, Flay stood up, unable to stand it anymore.

"Stop this, Kira is the pilot of the Strike." She called out.

"He is the pilot, because . . ."

_Flay!_ Miyuki looked at her. _What are you doing?-!_

"…because he is a coordinator.""

Several people were surprised with this answer.

Gurlukovich quickly slips the dagger back to her sleeve.

However, Garcia stood, with an intriguing smile, rather than an angered look.

"Well, well, well, another coordinator that we could use." Garcia commented.

"Another?" Miyuki wondered.

_Do they know who I am, or is there another one among us?_

_That musta been that Canard Pars kid_, Jethro thought. He was aware that a coordinator escaped this place earlier, inside a Eurasian mobile suit known as CAT.

"Indeed, we have found another rather intriguing person, a coordinator no less, however, that is not the point, the point is you."

Garcia explained as well as looking at Kira.

"You come with me." Garcia ordered, as two soldiers began to escort Kira out, leaving two soldiers on Miyuki.

Jethro, who had stayed out of it, nodded to her.

Lt. Colonel Ivana Gurlukovich eyes Miyuki as she left the room.

_So… We meet again… Death's favorite daughter._

**"That was so cool Ms. Kajiura" **

Tolle told her. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Jujitsu class," She answers with a smirk. "I also teach."

"But right now, we have more important matters to worry about." Miyuki whispered looking over at the guards.

"Sai, Tolle, Jackie, Chandra, Arnold, Murdoch, Top, Frank and you guys," She looks at soldier of the UN soldiers.

"C'mon, we need to let these guys in with the plan." She said, luring them to a corner table.

Chandra looks at them, "Plan? You mean you guys knew this was going to happen?"

Jethro nods, "Well, sort of."

"Let's just pray Daniel and Luke's end is doing well," Frank murmured.

**There were two Eurasians guarding the Medbay. **

One guard stood at the entrance whilst the other was across the hall just beside a pair of gurneys, each with a draped body. The guards were told they had died several hours ago, due to wounds sustained during battle.

Naomi checks the time on watch, she looks at some of the nurses and nods at them.

It was time to act.

Several moments later, an alarm went off, causing the two guards to look around at the direction of the disturbance.

"Doctor it's the burn patient!"

Assessing the young man, she frowned. "We have to get him to the O.R, have room 2 ready...and fast," the doctor ordered, worry in her eyes.

"Hurry...we don't have much time."

Naomi frowned, "Damnit looks like we'll have to treat him sooner than we thought."

"But we don't have the proper equipment!"

"I know but we can't just let him die can we? Get room 2 ready, now!"

"Yes ma'am!" The nurse quickly moves passed the soldiers.

Naomi looks at the two Eurasians, "We're understaffed. If you don't mind, will you help us here?"

The soldiers quickly complied.

"Thanks, move him to room 2, the nurses will show you the way."

As they move toward the "burn patient", Daniel and another soldier took off the drapes over them and got off from the gurneys.

Naomi nods and hands them both a scalpel since they were unarmed.

"I'll take the one on the right." Daniel twirls the scalpel once then walks faster.

Both quickly grab a guard and press their blade against where the artery was.

"Sorry boys," Naomi said as the nurses place a pressure gun against their necks. "But you're being relieved."

After a few moments the Eurasian soldiers passed out.

Naomi lets Rhiannon out of a cabinet, "Sorry boy."

Rhiannon gives her a low growl.

Luke gets off the bed, "Can somebody explain to me why I'm the burn patient?"

Naomi replied, "It's because they won't tell the difference with your skin color."

Daniel smirked, "She's saying it's because you're black."

"Fuck you, Spear." Luke began taking one of the guard's uniform. "We better hurry."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**Uh guys," Lt. Commander Steven Halberton radio to him. **

"We're detecting movement on the Zaft ships, they seem to be leaving."

Wynn raised an eyebrow, "What the hell?"

"What gives?" Mike looks at his watch, "It's only been three hours."

Antonio keeps silent, pondering inside his mind possible scenarios.

"They're trying to make the Eurasians lower their the Umbrella," Regina said. "I believe they're making the first move."

"Are they going to try and rush it?" Mike asked.

"Doubt it," Antonio finally spoke up. "The Eurasians will raise those shield up in no time if they even detect a slight anomaly in their sensors."

"Some how, my gut tells me the Gamow has the Blitz with it," He added.

The other nod, quickly understanding what was in his mind.

"The pilot'll have to be real quick about though," Regina commented. "He'll have to fend for himself in there for a while until his buddies hook up with him."

"We better get ready to move anyway," Antonio quickly checks his gauges. "Okay, remember to keep your jammer up, it doesn't matter if they see us visually, what I don't want is their system get our IFF codes and recording what we're about to do here."

"Roger."

"Wynn, Regina," Antonio calls out. "You two will get in there, plant a Gungnir system and escort the Archangel out of here. While me, Mike and Basilisk will take care of things."

Wynn looks at Antonio with a dropped jaw, "G-Gungnir system?-! Are you serious sir?"

Regina radios to her, "Don't worry, the Gungnir we have is modified to give out half the strength that it normally does. That's just enough to disable the firelinks of Moebius mobile armors. The Artemis' vital life support systems are deep inside the satellite, it'll barely feel it."

"If you say so…"

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**Garcia, his aide, Kira, and a few armed guards, walked at the feet of the Strike Gundam. **

"So, I just need to unlock the OS, right?" Kira asked them.

Garcia smirked, as he looked at the beak of his earth forces hat.

"For Starters yes. . ." Garcia told him. "But you should be able to do much, much more." he commented.

Kira turned to the rear admiral, "Such as?"

Garcia looked at the Atlantic Federations Mobile suit.

"For instance, analyze this thing, and create another one." He commented. "Sure the CAT is a good machine, however, this one has technology the CAT series does not have." Garcia told him.

"CAT?" Kira asked.

"Nothing that concerns you my boy," Garcia told him. "Either we do that or create a weapon capable of taking on a mobile suit such as this." he told the teen.

"But, I can't, I'm only a civilian, and a student." Kira told him, "I'm no soldier, and I have not been drafted by any army."

"There is no reason I must do this!" He yelled as Garcia laughed.

"But you're a traitor to the Coordinators." Garcia told him.

This caught Kira by surprise, bringing memories of the last battle with Kira, and some of the words Athrun had told him.

"Traitor?" Kira repeated

"I don't know the reason, but, once you fired upon your kind," Garcia told him, as Kira nearly snapped.

"No I...!" Kira tried to tell him, but deep down, Kira felt that, some how, what he was saying was the truth.

"It's rare that a Coordinator would join the Earth Alliance, as far as I know, only two others have done so." Garcia commented. "However, like them, you have nothing to worry about, you'll be forgiven."

"In Eurasia, unlike the Atlantic Federation, we will gladly allow a coordinator to fight along side us, and we won't stab them in the back." Garcia told him, as Kira looked at the admiral.

**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the base.**

In one of the computer rooms. Daniel ties up the guards and technicians they had knocked out.

Luke was already busy working on patching to the mechanisms that controlled the gate doors and the guns that were mounted on the gates' ceiling and floors. Ready to open and deactivate them when the time came.

As soon as he was done, Daniel leaves the room to stand at the exit.

In a few minutes, Luke would be finished.

After that, he plants a small C4 explosive on the control panel, setting it to explode as soon as the gate doors nearest to Archangel confirm they were open.

He hid the C4 inside his stomach protected by a plastic bag, pulling it out of there with a string he tied is with. He kept his teeth on the string as they went there, going pass through the numerous inspections.

All they need to do now was wait.

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"**Okay, we're here." Sally announced as her team cleared a hallway.**

"We don't have all night, move!"

The team quickly penetrated deep into the facility, resistance was surprisingly light, not very many guards to deal with.

They checked each room one at a time in a SWAT team fashion.

Sally looks at a schematic of the facility, "This is it. Epps, do your thing."

"Yes ma'am," the young soldier quickly moves to the facility's main terminal. He pulls out a laptop and several pieces of hardware out of his pack.

He whistles as he began working on the computer, "Pretty hot stuff for a back water base. Ma'am, this may take a while."

"Just get what we came for," Sally ordered.

"**Tango sighted!" a Scandinavian soldier yelled as he saw the first response team enter the hallway.**

He shoots at one before he could even aim his gun.

His companions took cover and fired back.

The Scandinavian soldier quickly commando rolled sideward to cover. The rest of the team stacked up at the door.

"Deploy CS," Sally ordered.

An Equatorial soldier took a grenade from his belt, pulls the pin and tosses it in. Another man does the same.

A section of the hall was quickly consumed by CS or tear gas.

The Eurasians fell back as the gas cloud continued to spread, firing blindly into the cloud.

Several Eurasian guards with masks entered the room and took positions.

"Well that didn't help," Sally muttered.

"Ms. Po," Vincent said behind. "Have the men deploy smoke, I'll deal with them."

She looks at him for a moment then nods, "Element, Deploy smoke, Lot's of it."

The team did so, tossing 6 grenades into the hallway at several places. In several seconds, the room was completely obscured by smoke.

Wearing a gas mask, Vincent took advantage of the low visibility.

_Your time is up._

Vincent's right eye changes, the iris color turns from green to red, his pupil turn into a slit.

He dashes forward down the hall, firing his Beretta on automatic taking out several guards.

When the clip was spent, he holsters his gun then pulls out Karasu.

In split second, the platinum haired Eurasian jumps onto the upper wall, he points the tip of the sword at a soldier and uses both gravity and his feet to thrust into the air, impaling one soldier. And then quickly pulls his sword out to slash the throat of another. Despite his its unwieldy looking length, he used his sword as though it were a normal length one.

The confused soldiers began shooting in panic, sometimes hitting their own.

The remaining soldiers bunch together, keeping an eye for the man with the sword.

"Where is he?-!" one of the Eurasians yelled as he peers into the smoke.

"I'm right here." Vincent had snuck in amongst them, "And you're dead."

He spins around once, slashing several people with his blade. The blood splattered around in almost B movie amounts as body parts were sliced off.

Some screamed, while others just fell.

Vincent's eye changes back to its normal state, he had a dissatisfied look in his face.

"Hmph," He pulls out a piece of cloth.

He wipes the blade of blood, after he was done he tosses the cloth to one of the bodies on the floor. Along with his trademark, a red joker card with his title and initials written on it.

"Hardly worth the extra effort."

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**Several miles southwest of Odessa, over the Black Sea**

A steel grey CGUE rides on a guul, accompanied by several DINNs.

The cgue's radio went off, "Waco 2 calling Huntress, Waco 2 calling Huntress, come in over."

The pilot's blue eyes stare at the response button for a moment then responds, "This is Huntress, I copy Waco 2."

"Huntress, we're detecting combat in target points, Sierra Two and Five. The earth forces are engaging with an unidentified force."

The pilot frowns, "What the hell? Can you confirm if it's one of ours?"

"Negative ma'am, the units fighting have no IFF codes, they're using some type of advanced jamming system so satellites and radar can't identify them either."

The unit commander frowned, something was wrong, an unknown force using jamming equipment that their supposedly superior sensors can't override?

This seemingly routine operation had suddenly turned risky.

The question that was going in the pilot's head was, should she continue the mission? Or should she abort?

"What's the size of the unknown force?" the pilot asked.

"Probably about the size of two of our own mobilesuits divisions, we're also detecting several unknown ship off the coast. Should we send Foreign Eyes and Rock Head to investigate?"

"Negative," the pilot answered. "We'll proceed as plan. This may be unexpected but it may go to our advantage."

The other was silent for a moment, "Copy that Huntress, good luck."

The pilot switches frequencies, "Okay boys, listen up…"

The other pilots were informed of the situation and their new course of action.

"Anyone who's uncomfortable with these orders may return to base now, there will be no punishment given."

The cgue pilot waits for a response, she gets none.

She smiles and shakes her head, "Idiots… Okay, lower your altitudes, we're moving in."

The unit of mobilesuits began to fly close to the water, flying in mach 1 speed. The steel CGUE led the way, it had an insignia on its right shoulder, the roaring face of a lioness with three spears and a shield behind it. This was the coat of arms of Lenneth Carrington, the Steel Huntress, a former Sword of Zodiac, a seasoned veteran of the last war and a veteran of the Grimaldi front and the Endymion crater.

Just then she gets an incoming transmission, it was her second in commander, Belenus Maxwell.

"Lenneth, do you think we should go with this?"

Lenneth shrugs, "There's nothing we can do about it, though it may go to our favor."

"I see. Commander, stay alive."

"You too."

She sighs as she cuts off the transmission, blowing off a strand of her silver hair that dangled between her eyes, muttering to herself.

"Why does it always get complicated at the last minute?"

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**In the bridge of the Javelin**

"Commander," one of the bridge officers calls out. "Zaft forces detected, 9 dinns and one cgue, they're currently 20 miles, 16 degrees South by South East from our current position, possibly heading point Baker."

Nathaniel frowned, if these were the ZAFT forces, they had arrived much earlier than expected. "Are they a scouting party? If not, are there anymore units?"

"They're moving too fast for even a long range recon team sir," the operator responded. "But I don't see any other unit sir."

Nathaniel turns to the communications operator, "Contact Red Tango Delta, ask for any confirmation of additional Zaft forces in the area."

After about a minute, the com operator calls out, "Red Tango Delta has confirmed three other units along the Med."

"So this is the initial attack," Nathaniel began weighing his options.

"All ships to level one battle stations!" He barked, "Contact the Raiders, tell them to pull out! Then contact Faust, inform them of possible incoming! Send in the Ospreys!"

Wolfthorne then looks at his XO, "Take over from here, I'll be moving out with the Tallgeese."

**Pierce frowns as he gets the call, "Damn it."**

He quickly turns his frequency to all units, "Faust to all units, the buzzards have come early. I repeat the buzzards have come early. Stand by for immediate extraction over."

He quickly gets a response from Simon, "This is Bullfrog, we copy Faust, we're proceeding to extraction point now."

Then he receives one from Lucrencia, "This is Eagle, I copy Faust, we'll head secure the extraction point."

Pierce then responds, "Copy Bullfrog and Eagle, we'll remain to cover Entry team. Keep the light on for us."

"Good luck Faust," Noin radioed in.

"Thanks."

**Sally frowned, "Please tell me you didn't say what I thought you said."**

"Sorry Entry," Pierce relied. "But it's for real, you better step on it down there.

"Easier said than done," Sally muttered. "Epps you better hurry, the buzzards are gathering upstairs."

The hacker dutifully continued his work, "Just a few more minutes ma'am."

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**Somewhere outside of Artemis**

Nicol Amalfi, pilot of the stolen Earth Forces prototype mobile suit GAT-X207 Blitz, which was cloaked with the help of colloid particles. It moves toward the base, invisible to both radar and the naked eye.

As at this time, Kira worked on the Strike at gunpoint by Garcia.

The cafeteria was silent, as were the officers.

That was when an unexpected shock hits the fortress.

**The Eurasian soldiers were astounded by the sudden tremor. **

This was an attack? Impossible! With the lightwave shield on?

"Hey what's going on?" a civilian called out in panic.

"Looks like we have to do it now," Arnold Neumann commented, as he and his fellow bridge crewmen all stood up.

"Just focus in getting to the bridge," Miyuki told Sai and Tolle, who both nod.

She looks at Tolle specifically, "And no heroics."

She turns to Mir, who held Elle, "Take care of her for me."

Mir nods, "Don't worry Miyuki-san."

The older bridge crewmen went to the door first, followed by Sai and Tolle. Miyuki, Jethro and some of the UN soldiers went to the sides of the door.

While Arnold and the others distracted them, the others made their moves.

"Now!" Jethro yelled, surprising the two soldiers, he lifts the rifle barrels above the soldiers' heads.

Frank lands a right uppercut to the gut of one guard.

Miyuki takes out the other by grabbing his neck, pressing against the artery for several seconds, cutting of the blood supply to the brain. The guard goes out like a light.

Frank and the UN soldiers take their rifles and sidearms.

"Go! Get this ship back online!" Jethro yelled, as he and the other UN soldiers went for the hatch.

"Good luck you guys!" Chandra called to them.

The bridge crew ran for the bridge, as the UN soldiers went to go get the ship officers.

**As soon as they came to a hatch, they took over a shuttle, allowing them to go into the main base. **

Upon arrival, a fire fight erupted, as UN soldiers opened fire on the Eurasian personnel, Jethro, Miyuki and Frank went to the nearest computer room.

"Frank, cover the door." Jethro barked, as Miyuki immediately began searching through the systems of Artemis.

"We need to find the Archangel's officers," Jethro said as he took a different seat and began to scan the system as well.

He listens in to the radio he took from a soldier they took out along the way.

The chaos around Artemis was worse than he first thought, confused officers and enlisted men flooded the airwaves with questions on what to do.

Apparently, the Umbrella was this fortress' only reliable defense, with that gone, Eurasia's mighty Artemis hardly gave any resistance.

Jethro shook his head, "Pathetic…"

He then turns his attention to the terminal in front of him, "Hmm, well this is interesting… Mrs. Kajiura, I'm going to download the data for this thing."

She nods, "It may come in handy someday."

An instructor back in the ZAFT academy once told her, _Never be afraid to take an opportunity when it knocks on your door, 'cause it might just pay off._

As the attacks continued to rock the entire base, the data transfer from the system of the Umbrella was completed.

"Alright, got 'em, three decks above us." Miyuki declared.

Jethro nodded, taking the disc containing the Umbrella's data from the terminal.

"Good, let's get our rear ends over there then." He told them, as Frank fired at a pair of soldiers, taking out one by hitting hit a leg, killing the other with a bullet through the throat area.

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**As the three went to the area they needed to get to, meanwhile things down on earth was about to get just as dicey.**

"Lotus to Faust," Xuiying called. As she hid in a dense wooded area in her mobilesuit, "You've got several incoming, several Dinns and one Cgue on a Guul."

"Copy Lotus, Are they the only."

"Yes, for now at least." She replied. "I'll try to slow down anyone else coming in."

"Copy, thanks Lotus."

"Just get everyone out of there, Faust. Lotus out."

Xuiying switches off her radio. Then presses another button.

This causes the camouflage netting she placed on her suit to detach, revealing what model it was.

It was an XMS-M1 Tallgeese, once belonging to Antonio Le Saint Claire.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, "Might as well get moving myself."

**Inside the base,**

"Where the hell did Vincent run off to," Sally scowled, irritated when finds that the Eurasian merc was missing. It was bad enough they were running against the clock. Now one team member was missing.

"Epps!" She yells, venting her frustration on the other innocent hacker. "How much longer?"

"Chill out ma'am. I almost… got it! Here're all the – what the hell…?"

_Oh no_, Sally thought. _More problems_.

"What is it?"

Epps didn't seem to her the question as he talked, "Ma'am you should look at this."

"Is there something in the data?"

"No ma'am it's not that."

"Then stopping wasting and–!"

"Ma'am, you should really look at this," Epps persists, his face was a little shakened.

Sally didn't think much of it as she sighs and walks toward him. She'll quickly understand why.

"So what do you wanted too…" Her widened as she saw the scream, "Oh my God…"

**Elsewhere in the base, in an underground hangar**

Vincent raises his eyebrow as he finds something quite interesting, "What do we have here…"

It was a mobilesuit, different from ones he had seen before. He had heard rumors of his former military creating its own mobilesuits. Until then he just assume they were rumors.

He then hears caw from behind him.

Vincent turns around to find one of his ravens, perched on a control panel. He walks toward it, extends his gloved hand to the bird, letting it perch there.

He examines the control panel and presses several buttons.

The panel's monitor activates, showing a several of specifications on the mobilesuit he just found.

"CAT1-X0/3 Hyperion… hmm… that's you're called eh?"

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**Inside Artemis,**

The alerts went off, as the hangar began to be consumed by fireballs of explosions as the Blitz plowed through destroying Moebius and Mistral units as they attempted to launch.

"What? The Umbrella has been destroyed! Impossible!" Garcia yelled.

"Commander!" The guard covering with Kira called down.

Kira took this opportunity to get rid of him, using his foot to kick the soldier out of the cockpit.

As soon as he did, he seals himself inside the Strike, and began to move.

"You stop!" Garcia yelled up to the moving strike.

"We are under attack aren't we?" Kira called out on the speakers.

"There's no time for this nonsense!"

And with that the Strike moves out.

"That little punk!" Garcia growled as he watched his prize get away from him.

**In the control room overlooking the hangar, Lt. Colonel Ivana Gurlukovich watched. **

She observed the Blitz as it continued to dispatch the mobile armors.

"So… this is the power of the Atlantic Federation's new weapons…"

Her brown eyes glinted as a Moebius explodes in full view of her.

"Interesting… They must be tested further."

She presses on a button on the control panel, "Sarah, Nadir, Wade, Ritchie launch immediately. Provide cover for our allies."

"Yes ma'am."

At the far corner of the hangar, four mobile armors that resembled the Moebius Zero activated.

"I'll see what those Atlantic mobile suits can do." One of the pilot said as the mobile armors took off.

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**A/N: **A lot of build up here… Yet another Sword of Zodiac introduced. Regina's former mentor, now a possible enemy. UN boys and Archangel crew busting out Artemis, while the Zaft Le Creuset and Hawke teams are busting in. Four Eurasian Moebius Zeros ready to rock and roll. The Chimera and Siginarugan finally going to possibly fight other G-units (in case you didn't notice, all the G-zeros fought so far are ginns, cgues and ships). Vincent finding a Hyperion.

Fights are about to erupt all over the place. Stay tuned for the next one, it's going to be absolutely chaotic.


	10. Phase8: Tears of Eurasia part three

**A/N:** Time to the end of the Eurasian escapade. This one's going to be long, so be warned.

**Phase 08: Tears of Eurasia part three**

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**Sally Po stared at the Epps' laptop screen, what she was seeing something she thought she'd never see again.**

What she saw was a camera feed from somewhere in the base, probably in the lower levels below them.

It was of a room full of cylindrical glass chambers lined in several rows, each contains a green liquid which seemed to glow in dim light.

"Ma'am," Epps began with bewilderment. "What are those things?"

"Gamma Gliphalium Regeneration chambers," Sally whispered. "That's as much as I can tell you. If I'd told you anymore, I'd have to kill you. …Seriously."

He blows out sigh, "I'll take your word for it ma'am. And somehow I wouldn't want to know."

"Epps… how did you…"

"I…" he sighs, "…just came across it."

Gamma Gliphalium chambers were used extensively in back when she was part of the Oceanic Union Army, in a joint black project with the other pacific nations, EU and Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia, a project codenamed "Leonidas". The chambers themselves didn't surprise her, there had always been rumors of the project's accomplishments were leaked to the Eurasians, she knew they didn't enjoyed similar success. No, what shocked her was what's inside them.

Children, most were probably no older than 14 at the most. There were a few that were older, probably 18 or so. But even they didn't seem to be healthy enough for the chambers. Her eyes widened even more when she realized another thing.

The number of missing children in Eurasia had more for last couple of years. This was officially blamed at the rise of the slave trade, however she had a feeling of otherwise. This was probably just one of several or more bases that conducted this, the estimated missing could not possibly be all hidden here. The number reached to at least the hundreds.

The more Sally thought about it the more her stomach turned. She had seen more than her fair share of atrocities before but this, this was beyond comprehension even for her.

Sally placed her hands against the control panel to support herself, she looked down, breathing fast.

"How could they…?" She whispered to herself. After a moment, her shock had turned to anger. She slammed both her hands in anger, then looks at the hacker next to her.

_Eurasian bastards!_

"Epps, can you download all the data the in the mainframe's system?"

Epps nods, a bit wary of his angry superior, "It's going to take time."

"I don't care how long it takes," she growled. "Just do it."

"**Entry team do you read me? Entry team!"**

Master Pierce Rayer yelled as he contacted Sally's unit, "What the hell's keeping you up? We don't have much time left!"

"This is Entry," Sally responded. "Sorry Faust, but there's a slight change in plan. Please hold the fort little longer, over."

"What the hell are talking about?-!" Pierce yelled, "Didn't you just confirmed you have the data?-!"

"I know what I said Faust," Sally answered coolly. "But you'll have to hold on a little more, Entry team out."

"Entry team! Damnit!" Pierce switches the radio frequency, "Bullfrog, get yourselves evac now. Something's holding up Entry team. Rendezvous with the chariots."

"What the bloody hell?" Simon scowled but responds. "Affirmative Faust, we'll evac now."

He turns to the BuCUE Jackal carrying the radome, "Asimov, get the hell out of dodge, you don't have much to fight airborne weapons."

"Copy."

As the BuCUE left, Rayer switches the frequency once more, "Eagle, Faust here. Change of plans, get out of here now."

"What the hell are talking about?" Noin responded. "You'll be sitting ducks to those DINNs."

"And you guys are probably almost out of ammo by now," Pierce said. "Get out of here, we can evac ourselves."

"Listen to him Eagle," Zechs Merquise joined in. "Just follow what he said, that's an order."

"But…"

"No buts," Pierce snapped. "Now out of here!"

**Noin glared at the radio, **

"I'm not a damn rookie," she muttered. "I got more experience than either one of you."

She checks her armament screen and winces.

They were right on one thing though, she was almost out of ammo. All she had left was one sidewinder and more or less a hundred rounds in all of her machineguns and CIWS. And she was now on the borderline combat limit of the battery.

She let's out a sigh of frustration, "Fine, I'm pulling out. You guys better not get yourselves killed."

**The BuCUE Jackal pilots watch as their only air cover left them.**

"She really cares for you two," Jacques Leon commented.

Pierce nods absently and answered simply, "We know."

Zechs watches as the Aries unit disappeared from view, "We're more than aware of it."

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**Meanwhile up in Artemis**

"Huh?" Nicol notices an incoming mobile weapon, two Moebius Zeros. He fires his Trikeros' 50mm. beam rifle at one of them.

With unusual dexterity, the mobile armor he targeted dodges them easily. He responds by letting loose his gunbarrels.

Nicol dodges most of the fire but gets hit in the leg once. To his the surprise, the shot had badly warped the armor.

"What the–!" Nicol suddenly becomes more wary. "That wasn't a normal gunbarrel…"

The mobile armor pilot, a blonde haired, brown eyed teenager named Nadir Crandall smirked.

"That's right chump, this ain't y'daddy's Zero. Now buy it!"

He concentrates the fire of his gunbarrels and linear gun at the Blitz.

The other Zero attacks with its lineargun, the pilot, brown haired and green eyed Sarah Macgregor frowned.

"You maneuvers lack restraint, you're being too reckless."

"Shut it!" Nadir snapped, "I'll do what I want!"

Nicol grits his teeth as takes another hit, "Damnit…!"

**"****Kira,****" Miriallia called as Kira got himself ready.**

"Mir!" he responded out, as she nodded.

"We're safe for now, and we're giving you the Sword Striker, it's only the Blitz," She told him.

"Alright." Kira replied, as he activates the phase shift of the Strike, after the three parts were connected to his machine.

The Strike moves out of the Archangels hangar, and stared down the Blitz Gundam that was right in front of him.

He was already kept busy by the Eurasian mobile armor.

Nicol groaned when he saw the Strike, "You couldn't have showed up a worse time…"

Both machines fired their anchors at each other, the Panzer Eisen and the Gleipnir met each other squarely.

"Damn, even in a place like this they attack us!" Kira called out.

With that, the Strike pulled out the Schwert Gewehr anti-ship sword.

Two mobile suits fought above the Archangel.

"Nadir, Sarah" Gurlukovich radioed to the young pilot. "Consider the Archangel and its mobile suits as hostile."

"Yes ma'am," Sarah responds.

"Yeah, yeah, more for me." Nadir began to fire on both machines with its gunbarrels.

"What the hell?-!" Kira yelled as he dexterously dodges, "Do they seriously want the Strike that badly?"

Nicol was just as confused, "What's going here? They're firing on their own units?"

_Just keep cool Nicol, backup will here soon, your team and the Hawke team are heading their way._

Or so he thought.

**Outside Artemis**

"Missile tubes and torpedo launchers have been loaded sir!" The fire control officer of the Basilisk reported to its captain.

Steven Halberton nods as the ship maneuvers toward its target, "Missile launchers 1 and 4, torpedoes 1, 2, 5 and 6, fire!"

The Gamow gets a full broadside to its port.

"Sorry boys," Antonio said as the Chimera docks both beamrifles together and aims at the Lee, "But you just can't have the Archangel." He fires, the beam strikes the Nazca-class on one of its thrusters.

"**What! You've got to be kidding me!" **

Yzak scowls as he gets news from their ship, "The Gamow and Lee are under attack?"

"Were there Earth forces patrolling that we didn't detect?" Dearka looked around.

"They sure have good timing," Rusty commented. "They waited for us to leave, so now the ships are defenseless."

Capt. Zelman of the Gamow sends them a visual feed of what was happening.

Yzak eyes narrowed when he saw the Chimera and Siginarugan, "UN forces."

"So," Dearka began, "Looks like they haven't left the legged ship just yet."

"This ends right here and right now!" Yzak snarled, he turns back for their ships.

"Yzak!" Rusty scowled, "We can't just leave Nicol alone in there!"

"Save your breath Mackenzie," Dearka sighs. "You and the Hawke team go ahead with plan, I'll go follow Yzak and make sure he'll be in one piece and we have ships to come back to. Besides you can handle it now, since you modified one of the Duel's spare beamrifle and saber for your suit."

Rusty nods, "Watch it you guys. Commander Rau said the pilot of one of those things is Antonio Le Saint Claire, they aren't typical natural pilots."

Dearka snorts, "Yeah well, it doesn't matter if they're elite or whatever. We're coordinators and they're not, they're only doing so well because they got superior machines. Well we're gonna fix that."

With that, the Buster boosts off after the Duel.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Rusty sighed. "I don't think our own ZAFT veterans call him 'Tode Jaeger' for nothing."

**By this time, Miyuki, Frank and Jethro were on their way into the inner spaces of Artemis, near the enormous hangar. **

Along the way, they paused, suddenly hearing shouting coming from down the hall and a loud commotion.

"Hey," Frank commented. "Doesn't that sound like our mates?"

"It is," Miyuki replied as she pulls her assault rifle's trigger group to semi-auto. "C'mon."

Without pausing, they ran towards a down the hall, taking out two unfortunate guards who happened to passed them at an intersection of two corridors as they ran to the direction of the disturbance.

As they ran around the corner, they come across the exact people they were looking for.

"You know, skipper," Jethro quipped, "you don't have to shout, we heard you just fine."

Ramius, La Flaga, and Badgiruel, who had been locked in a room since their own initial meeting with Garcia, looked at them with surprise. Noting the weapons, they had with them.

"Looks like you guys went into Artemis a little more prepared," La Flaga commented. "What took you guys so long?"

"This place isn't exactly small," Miyuki replied. "And as you can tell, Artemis is under attack. From what I'm guessing, they probably did it with the Blitz."

"Then we'd better get back to the Archangel," Ramius said decisively.

Jethro raises his hand, "I second that proposal."

Frank nods, "Got no argument here."

"Sounds good to me," Miyuki added.

"I'm afraid I can't just let you do that," a voice familiar to Miyuki said behind her.

Miyuki quickly turned around, there leaning against the wall of the hallway they pass. Ivana Gurlukovich calmly eyed them

"You…"

Ivana smiled "Yes… and I believe we've got... personal business to settle."

Miyuki frowns looking at the woman, "This isn't the time or place Ivana."

Mu also frowns, "Ivana? You mean to tell me that's Ivana Gurlukovich?"

Badgiruel's eyes widen. "The 'Voyevoda'?"

"Yes, I'm Ivana Gurlukovich," the older woman answered calmly. "We meet again Sword."

Murrue cocked her head, "Sword? Who are you…?"

Miyuki winced, _damn it. _No one in the Archangel except a very few know who she was in ZAFT and the Plants.

Her friend quickly realizes who she was pertaining to, "Yuki? You're…"

Ivana looks at the captain with a raised eyebrow, "You don't know? She's well known in the plants and especially ZAFT; Commander Miyuki Kajiura the 'Ultimate Shield', Identification number: nine-one-eight-zero-zero-four."

Miyuki looked at her with a hard stare, "Ivana, stop it."

"Commander of the then the Ame-no-Murakumo team also known as the Swords of Zodiac, call sign is Capricorn. Last assignment, SCICOM, Special Engineering Unit, credited as the architect of Operation Uroboros and was a major factor during the Battle of Jachin Due and Ides of March incident."

"That's enough," Miyuki said with slightly louder voice, becoming more agitated.

Murrue was taken aback at some of what Ivana said. She looked at her old friend, she was beginning to truly realize how little she knew of her now. Miyuki had definitely come a long way since they last met. But what disturbed her was the fact she was a Sword, someone close to who may have killed Dmitri or she may be…

Murrue shook her head. _No,… it can be her… She's not like that. It's not her. It can't be her… It just can't…_

"I am only interested in Miyuki, the rest of you may pass."

Mu looks at her incredulously, "You're just gonna let us go?"

The Eurasian nods, "Yes, I have no interest in doing that fool Garcia a favor."

Murrue looks at Miyuki, "Yuki?"

"Just go," Miyuki replied still looking at Ivana. "This usually doesn't take too long, I'll catch up."

Jethro nods, "Let's move people."

Frank, Jethro, Mu, Natarle and Murrue ran passed Gurlukovich and made their way to the hanger that held the Archangel.

Murrue looked behind her back, "Yuki…"

As they ran, Jethro switches his radio head set on, "Package is secure, move out."

**Gate control room**

"They got the package!" Daniel announced as he switches his gun's safety off, "Time to fly partner!"

"Copy!" Luke's fingers rapped over the control panel keyboard, "That'll take care of any records of us, in the system. The virus will take over the system after the charges go."

Daniel cocks his head at him, "Virus? You weren't carrying anything when we got here?"

Lucian gives him a knowing look, "You're right, I wasn't carrying anything."

"Then how did you…?"

"I made it," He answered simply.

Daniel blinked, "Here…? In just five minutes? Out of scratch?"

"Yup. I'm the guy who cost the Atlantic Federation billions four years ago aren't I? A simple worm virus isn't hard too make."

Daniel shook his head, "Good thing you're on our side."

**Ivana Gurlukovich began, tossing her officer's cap and jacket to the side. **

"So…" She tears her skirt on the side, she then flicks her wrists to reveal two daggers then assumes a knife combat stance. "Shall we begin?"

Miyuki reaches out under her collar on the back of her neck, she pulls out a weapon. A Japanese tantō or knife, its handle was simple wooden one, this weapon was not elaborate like her katanas because this one was made a less than noble purpose, assassination.

Without a word, she launches herself at the Eurasian.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Down in the Black Sea**

Nathaniel's frowned as his sensor began to detect a unit of Dinns closing in at the Taskforce fleet. He and his suit the XMS-M1 Tallgeese Model 4/4 sat on one of the Javelin's hangar doors. There were only four Tallgeese mobile suits that were ever created, all of which were given to each Spartan Eternal or more officially known Spartan Immortals. They were called Eternal instead so as not to be confused with the "Black Immortals", an elite forces group that had similar prestige as they Spartan's back in the Euro-Pac war.

Each was numbered 1 to 4 over 4, Antonio was one, Michael was two and Une was 3. The model was based on ZAFT's prototype ginn model design and was optimized for use by trained Naturals.

Though it may be an obvious tip off to the Eurasians or Zaft on who was the unknown. The fact that the Tallgeese was the base of the Leos design, early models look very much like it. Which meant the EU and Scandinavia wouldn't be necessarily blamed for the incident unless the Eurasians would actually capture it, which was highly unlikely, given that Wolfthorne was a skill pilot himself and the Tallgeese was more than a match to what the Eurasians and ZAFT had.

"René," Nathaniel called his ship's XO. "What's the status of our men?"

"Fairly good sir," The officer replied. "Apparently the ZAFT have no amphibious mobile suits as of yet sir."

Nathaniel nods, "I see, keep me posted."

"And René," he quickly added. "Call for Black Knight push Alpha."

"Yes sir."

**Up in the skies over the Mediterranean,**

Several unseen shapes ride through the clouds like birds of prey in the prowl. They had been earlier in the day stationed in a base south of Visby in Gotland, Sweden, Scandinavia. They made very little sound as they got closer to the border north of Ukraine. They were bombers, the shape of these craft was similar to that of the old US B2 bombers except they were a bit bigger, their wings could adjust like that of an F-14 and they flew under the flags of the Equatorial Union and Scandinavia. These were the EUB-SR12 Highwind stealth bombers, the latest aircraft designed by the Equatorial/ Scandinavian weapons firm Integral Dynamics, equipped with the finest and most powerful systems of stealth technology.

These particular models were manned by experienced crews and were equipped with the Atlantic Federation's Mirage Colloid cloaking technology, which they traded in exchange of data regarding the construction of mobilesuit frames.

"Black Knight leader to kids," One of the pilots called to the others. "We have orders to push at point Alpha. Disengage cruise mode and follow my lead."

They bombers wings swept back slightly as they increase speed as they sped to their target.

**Simon West's unit has strapped itself in the four EUA- U/S15 Osprey heavy transport carriers that were waiting for them.**

The large, bulky aircraft were the regular transport aerial of mobile and conventional weapons since its introduction in 69CE, during the height of the Euro-Pac war. Noin's Aries team was escorting the withdrawing force. The withdrawal went seemingly smoothly until a blip in Noin's sensor caught her eye. She frowned, it was the ZAFT advance force, but they weren't heading to their direction, instead they heading to the Odessa base, heading toward Pierce and Zechs.

"Don't you even think about it Noin," Simon West apparently what she was thinking. "You're too low on energy and ammo to go back in there."

"Yeah, yeah…" she muttered.

Simon could tell from her voice she was frustrated. After a few moments of thought, he sighs. _Blessed Mother…_

"Noin, tell you what, link up to Carrier Freddy they'll resupply you and your unit."

Lucrencia Noin blinked, "What… You're serious?"

"You bloody damn right I'm serious," Simon snapped. "Now get yourselves prepped up before I change my mind."

Lucrencia smiled, "I owe you one Simon."

"Just bloody come back alive," the older man replied. "Your two bloody boyfriends will kill me if you don't."

Noin cringed slightly at that remark but nods. "Thanks Simon… Team! Link up with Carrier Freddy!"

Kanbei bursts out laughing, "Roger chief. I was hoping for more action today."

"Looks like you're going to get it," Natsumi replied. "I hear you Sifu."

"Lotus," Simon radios to Xuiying. "Eagle's going to intercept buzzards, back her up."

Xuiying chuckled through radio, "I knew she was going to do something like this soon. Roger, I'm on it."

"Thanks," Simon manages to smile. He looks at the picture stuck on the side of the cockpit. It was of his family in Orb, him, his wife and his two year old twin daughters.

He shook his head. _Kids… What a sucker I am…_

"**Entry team!"**

Pierce was now yelling at the top his voice, "God damn it! Entry we don't have much time anymore, we have bail now!"

He was more worried than angry, he began wondering if Entry team was actually under heavy fire down there and Sally didn't anything to him because he didn't want to do anything rash. Pierce was known among Spartans as being reckless when it came to helping fellow teammates, sometimes doing insane risks.

"Entry team," Pierce said as calmly as he could. "C'mon answer me. If you're in trouble down and you down answer me in the next thirty seconds, I'm going down there myself."

"Master…" Zechs called.

Pierce ignores him, "I'm serious here. Your thirty seconds starts now."

**Sally groans when she heard this.**

Sometimes she wondered if the young teen cared too much, but she still manages to smirk. "Well, I guess he just takes the Atlantic Federation Rangers motto by heart."

His grandfather and father were both Rangers, as a kid used to listen to their old war stories though they did stretched the truth a bit. It captivated him to begin a military career.

"Leave no man behind," one of the Scandinavian SF operatives said. "He's a good soldier."

Sally nods, "He is."

"Commander Po, I got it!" Epps called out. "I've finished downloading the files!"

"Best news I've heard all day," Sally commented as she turns her Colt Commando's trigger group to automatic. "Entry to Faust, no need to come down, we're coming up."

"It's about damn time," Pierce retorted. "We have about 9 minutes to first contact. We're getting Dinns and I'm not even equipped for AA combat."

"Copy, sorry for the delay, we're coming up."

"**Okay Eagle," **

Lt. Commander Xuiying Hong of the Equatorial Union Navy called, "Let's see how much you've improved since our last mission together."

Noin smiled at her former senior, "You may find I've improved a lot, Prefect."

"You don't have to call me that," the older woman said hearing her old Spartan rank.

The Prefect rank was formally known as "Praefectus Castrorum" the battle commander and second command of a Roman Legion. Despite the name, the military structure of the Spartan Guard was based on that of the Roman Legionary. The name of the group was actually the merging two ancient elites The Spartans, the elite among warriors of their time and Praetorian Guard, which were the elite among the Roman Legion.

"You've earned that rank," Noin replied. "You should be a little more proud of it."

"I am, Primus" Xuiying answered, also using her friend's old rank, which was the "Primus Pilus" or "First Spear" they were in-charge of a Legion's First Cohort. Noin's position in the Water corps was essentially the first lieutenant having seniority over the other lieutenants who were known as the "Pilus Prior."

"It's just a little embarrassing sometimes."

Noin nods, "Understandable."

"I hear you're going to get knighted soon."

Noin grins, "I am. It's really an honor for me. I never really thought I was qualified for the Order of Amn."

Xuiying smiled as her mobilesuit, the XMS-M1 Tallgeese Model 1/4 alongside Noin's Aries. "Congratulations, Primus."

Just then, Xuiying's and Noin's sensors were tripped.

"We have company," Xuiying comment as she readies her suit's 220mm. Mk II "Nightingale" railgun.

"Team," Noin radios to her companions, "Finger skirmish."

"Copy that," Kanbei called.

"Roger Sifu," Natsumi called.

The four suit loosely fly alongside each other, Noin's Aries flew slightly forward whilst the other lagged slightly behind, forming something like the fingers in a hand. This was known as the finger four formation, four because it was usually done by four units. It's an old, tried and true aerial combat formation which supports a squadron from attack from all sides.

Noin notes the enemy's lead unit, Lenneth's cgue. "Whoever that is most be pretty good to sport a paint job like that. Prefect, I'll take him."

"Copy, watch yourself, don't get overconfident."

**Lenneth frowns as she sees her adversary for the first time, she didn't like what she sees.**

"They're in a finger four formation, these people know what they're doing."

"Commander," Belenus radioed, "Should we attack?"

The former shrugged, "I'd prefer not to if it can be helped but since they're an aggressive stance, we have no choice but to."

Lenneth's cgue suddenly spreads a pair of wings, it was from an Equatorial EE20 Aerial maneuver pack behind its back, and began to fly without the aid of the guul. It then pulls out a long shining spear with a touch of black on the spearhead, the shaft was colored dark blue. It had been forged a couple of years ago in a place in space known as "the Graveyard". She christened it "Dainslef", Old Norse for "God slayer."

Xuiying raised an eyebrow, "That pilot purposely used a guul to conserve energy, since guuls have their own battery source. And in combat uses an AM pack for better maneuvering. Prudent, if I say so myself."

Noin nods, she looked at the cgue as it flew at them. "We have a fight our hands."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**Okay natural!" **

Yzak yells as he charges at the Chimera, "You've been lucky in the last few fights, but your luck ends now!"

The Duel fires its rifle, shooting a burst of green energy which the Chimera dodges effortlessly.

Antonio raises an eyebrow as he watches the Duel approaches.

Though he wasn't communicating with it, he said quietly. "You sure are in a hurry bud."

As the Duel closes in, Yzak sets aside the rifle and pulls out a beam saber.

"Eat this!" He yells as the beam blade descents on the UN suit.

Antonio blocks the attack with the Mandarangan Guan-Dao or Chinese glaive. Instead of burning through, the beam weapon was stopped on its tracks.

"Damnit," Yzak cursed. "Anti-beam coating…"

The Chimera quickly splits the glaive's staff in the middle, it uses the half with the blade to thrust at the Duel.

"Shit!" Yzak just barely blocks the attack with his suit's shield. The Mandarangan's blade pierces through it halfway.

Antonio uses his suit's knee to hit the abdominal part of the suit where the cockpit was.

Yzak yells at the sudden impact, he lets go of his shield and pulls out of the tangle.

"You forgot something," Antonio quipped as he pulls out the Mandarangan out of the Duel's shield.

He glares at the Chimera which bore a similar color scheme to the Duel, "Why you…"

That's when he notices that the UN mobilesuit had new equipment on it, similar to what the Strike used, except it was armed with several weapons on its shoulders.

_That doesn't matter_, Yzak thought. _It's going down no matter what._

The Duel puts away its saber and once again switches back to the rifle then maneuvers to the side.

"You think you're hot stuff Natural?" He yells, as the Duel aims the rifle at the Chimera.

"Die!" He fires the beam weapon, this time he also fires the grenade launcher.

This maneuver perplexes Antonio, "What's the point in that?"

He dodges the beam and fires his CIWS at the grenade. It gets struck by a 75mm. shell, causing it to explode.

But it wasn't the usual fragmentary explosion he expected, instead the grenade gives out a blinding light.

"Ahh!" Antonio looks away, shield his eyes with one hand.

He blindly fumbles his hand across the control panel to find the Rommel Panzer armor control switch, though it wouldn't help if the Duel decided to use the beam saber, the blade would not be absorb fast enough by the armor.

Despite his predicament, he manages to smile.

_Flash illumination grenade, nice move kid, just what I expect from an Elite Red coat pilot like you._

As the Chimera was blinded, the Duel attacks from the side with its beam saber, "Got you!"

_But..._

The Duel was just about to hit.

_I didn't turn into the Spartan of Waves for being a so-so pilot neither._

For one second his left iris turns red, the pupil into a slit.

He couldn't see his opponent, but a sudden pulse inside his head that told him exactly where he was about to strike.

"What the–!" Yzak yells as the Chimera suddenly feints to one side.

Antonio thought of attacking the Duel there, but decided against it.

Instead, he boosts away to let his eyes recover, "Dang. That's something you don't see too often…"

_Better put away Mandarangan for now, anti-beam doesn't last forever..._

As soon as he got his sight back, he places the Chimera's melee weapon's two pieces on the side of the hip.

He then pulls one Bathala 175mm. beam rifle out, "Better stick to this first."

"C'mon!" Yzak yells as the Duel goes into the attack once again, charging with both its beam rifle and beam saber out. The Chimera pulls out a beam saber and charges as well.

The two suits strike each other's saber as they passed each other. Both turned around and fired their rifle at the same time, narrowly missing the other. They circle each other as both continued to fire at the other.

Antonio decides to put the Sol Striker pack to use, he charges in and fires the 105mm. cannons and the 115mm. railguns, as well as the AW20s and the 57mm. double gatling guns.

Despite the fact that the barrage thrown at him was useless with PS on, Yzak couldn't help but dodge them anyway. He had only been in combat in the Duel for a couple battles.

And it was a rule among mobilesuit/ armor pilots that to always avoid or deflect any projectile thrown at you. No matter how ineffective it may be.

Amidst the barrage, Antonio would occasionally shoot a beam shot at the Duel, keeping it on its toes.

**The same moment, the Buster made contact with the Siginarugan, **

And Dearka quickly realizes he was going to eat the words he had said to Rusty.

He grits his teeth as the Siginarugan throws one of its beamsabers at him then fires its beamcanon. Dearka narrowly avoids being hit by blasting the saber with his 94 mm high-energy beamrifle and dodging the beam blast.

As soon he did so the Siginarugan fires its grappling harpoon, Dearka curses as it latches on to the Buster's arm.

"Wonderful…" he muttered.

This Natural was quick, he's definitely not some green pilot plucked from the ranks.

The Siginarugan begins pulling him forceful toward it, Dearka uses all the thrusters of the Buster to try and pull itself away. Knowing full well what's going to happen if he gets close to it.

For all its strengths, the Buster had one major weakness. It had no effective close range weapon.

Fighting close range with mobilesuits like the Siginarugan was suicide.

He shoots the line with his beamrifle but it does not break, much to Dearka's dismay.

"Oh give me break!"

"Hey, Zaft boy," Michael switches his radio to a general ZAFT frequency. "What's the matter? Scared of coming close to me?"

Dearka scowls, "You're the one to talk! It's not exactly easy to fight close range with no means to fight there."

Michael raises an eyebrow, "You mean you don't have a saber? …Oh, right. Your suit's the Buster… here."

The Siginarugan tosses his remaining beamsaber at the Buster.

Flabbergasted, Dearka stared to the beam weapon then at the Siginarugan.

"Wha…? What the hell are you doing? Are you stupid? Why the hell would–"

"A battle's no fun if it's one sided," Michael replied. "Well? Aren't going to take it? 'Cause I'm not going to hesitate even if you don't."

Dearka stares at the saber as the Buster grabbed it and as the suit's onboard OS identified and linked to it.

Michael smiles, "Okay here's the deal. We're gonna lash ourselves together with the harpoon line so as nobody gets away. We're gonna only close range weapons, deal?"

Dearka raises his eyebrow,_ this guy's cocky_.

He then smirks, _even if he's natural, he's my kind of guy._

"Suit yourself, Natural"

The saber blazes to life in the Buster's hand.

Michael smile grew wider, "Good… Let's do it then!"

The Siginarugan pulls out one half of the Sidapa and charges.

Dearka makes the Buster charge at the Siginarugan, Michael blocks the attack pushes him back.

As the Buster backs off, it fires its 220mm. missilepods, hitting the Siginarugan in the body.

Michael irks as he takes the impact, "Hey! Didn't I say close beam weapons only?"

Dearka gives him a toothy grin, "Oh c'mon! As if that hurt you that bad!"

Michael wasn't amused, "Oh a wise guy eh?"

The Siginarugan whips the arms with harpoon line, the resulting wave shakes the Buster badly.

"Hey!" Dearka yelled, "C'mon! Can't take a joke?"

"That one wasn't funny pal," Michael retorted as the Siginarugan went on the offensive.

"Geez, you don't have to be so up tight. Okay here I come!"

**At this time, Rusty and the Hawke team had passed the perimeter of the Umbrella.**

"Okay we're in," Rusty radios to his companions. "We'll split up to two groups, two of you are with me, while the rest of you will secure the perimeter."

The units dispersed, Rusty went in with Leona in her modified Black GINN Assault type she nicknamed "Cervantes" and Heine's custom GINN high maneuver type colored in orange.

"Well, well," Leona smiled. "Looks like it's just you, me and Heine here."

"Yeah, seems that way. It's been a while Leona."

Rusty smirked, "So… you're still driving your colleagues crazy?"

Leona chuckles, "Not as bad as back then, but yeah a bit."

Heine clears his throat, "I hate to break up your reunion but we're working here."

Leona looks at his ginn HM which was to her right.

She smirks at him, "What's the matter Heine, Jealous?"

He snorts at the comment, "Please."

She laughs heartily, "Well it's your loss."

Leona boosts ahead of them, making several quick barrel rolls as she did. She continues laughing as she did.

"Hey Mackenzie," Heine radios to Rusty. "Was she like this when she was with you guys?"

Rusty chuckles, "Since day one."

**Miyuki Kajiura and Ivana Gurlukovich locked blades together.**

Ivana's left bladed met which with Miyuki tanto, while the right was neutralized by Miyuki grabbing her wrist and part of her palm.

Both were attempt to push the other, using strength not normally associated to women.

Suddenly, Miyuki tightens her grip on the hand she held and falls backwards in a modified Judo style tai-toshi or circle throw. Using Ivana's own strength, Miyuki pulls her over her body using her right foot as leverage to toss her. After doing so, she rolls backwards over her head to get back on her feet.

Ivana manages to break fall, landing on one knee. As she assumes her stance, she realizes she was missing one dagger.

"Looking for this?" Miyuki a similar stance to hers, hold Ivana's dagger with her once free hand.

Ivana smirked, "Well played."

She stood up and then charged. They two veteran fighters clashed blades as swung at each other, their strikes to a normal person would see as blurs.

At one moment, Ivana grabs Miyuki's arms by the forearms neutralizing her blades. Ivana delivers a head butt which landed on her left eye.

Miyuki irked in pain. She kicked herself free, holding the area struck, she then felt a familiar liquid. She looks at her hand to find blood.

She glares at her opponent who seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Is this all fun and games to you?" She growled, "You have some nerve Ivana. I you told them I also was, I would have shot you instead."

Ivana frowns at her adversary's unusual hostility, "I had no intention of revealing them that side of you Miyuki, I can more than understand why you didn't tell them."

"Whatever," Miyuki grunted. "Right now I'm not in the mood of playing with you."

"Too bad," Ivana replied as she charged in again.

**Outside Artemis, **

"Aw man, this is boring." One of the two ginn pilots from the Gamow complained as they and the Hawke team effortless dispatched the Moebius mobile armors as they came out. "Why the hell do we even have to do this anyway? These guys can't even put a dent on us thanks to the N-jammers."

He was fresh from basic training, his ginn didn't bare the scars and dents that were earned in combat. And the machinegun and heavy sword he carried looked as if they just been unpacked.

He had been transferred from the Zeigler earlier as the Gamow was being resupplied. He had no actual combat experience and had the cocky and arrogant vigor of a new recruit.

Ever since he got into the Gamow, he constantly complained about not seeing action. He managed to get into Dearka and Yzak's nerves.

Now he was getting into Gabriel White's.

"Pipe down," The twenty-two year old elite ordered. "No unnecessary transmissions."

"Yeah, yeah," The rookie mutters. "Whatever."

White shook his head and sighed, "Rookies…"

Gabriel White on the other hand was a seasoned soldier, he was one of the last batch of ZAFT pilots to have taken a military degree from West Point. He served during the Eurasian-Pacific war as a sapper under Andrew Waltfeld in Afghanistan who was supporting the fourth Equatorial Army and the Spartan Guard Fire Corps.

He had seen too many young inexperienced 'boys' as he called them die. Most of them had that same arrogance as this kid, and from what Gabriel was seeing now, he maybe joining them real soon.

"Clark," One of his teammates, Clark Redman, called. "We got incoming, they're coming real fast, just two of them though."

Gabriel frowned, "Two?"

Normally, mobile armors were launch five at a time. This was to correspond to the rule of 5 armors to one suit. Since mobilesuits were vastly superior to mobile armors.

Launching just two was suicide, unless…

Gabriel shook his head, "It can't be… the last of those things were destroyed in the Endymion Crater."

He didn't want to take any chances, "Team, fall back to secondary positions."

They did so, going a little further from the hangar gate they were guarding.

Sure enough, the two armors showed themselves, Gabriel's eyes widen as he finds his hunch was correct.

"Moebius Zeros," Redman gritted his teeth. "Damn Naturals…"

"**Hey Bro, check it," blonde haired, blue eyed Ritchie Mossberg, told his brother, Wade.**

"Hmm…?" Wade looked at the ZAFT unit with his sleepy looking eyes. "Oh they would take us too long. You take care of them, I'll go a huntin' some bigger fish."

Ritchie grins widely, "Much 'bliged brutha." He lets loose his gunbarrels and begun attacking, firing seemingly randomly at the entrenched unit.

The Hawke team responds with fire of their own. Two ginns provided covering fire as one of their teammates fires his Barrus Heavy particle gun. Another ginn attacks with his Pardus and Canus missilepods.

Ritchie smirked as he dodges the barrage with ease, "It's gonna take more that to take me down!"

His Zero does something that surprises Gabriel, releasing two more slightly smaller gun barrels.

"What the hell?"

**The Jethro, Frank and the officers arrive at the hangar.**

They find that the UN guards were still engaging the Eurasians in a full blown fire fight.

An alert Eurasian sees them, and unloads his guns at them.

"Sonova-!" Jethro curses as he ducks back behind corner, "Don't these guys have anything better to do? Like self preservation and saving themselves?-!"

"Apparently not," Frank answers. He pulls out a Fragmentation grenade he had obtained in the Archangel's armory before they left the ship.

"Maybe this'll change their minds," The auburn haired Australian drawls as pulls the pin, "Fire in the hole!"

The blast catches several Eurasians.

"Happy landings…" Jethro commented as he fires his rifle in full auto and the hits the Eurasian who shot at them.

"**Sounds like Frank's already in the hangar," Daniel commented.**

"Well let's join 'em then," Luke sets his rifle to semi-auto.

They enter the hangar through a maintenance platform that overlooked where their teammates were fighting. Both walk towards the barricade in a crouch position.

Whist Luke aims his gun at the door they entered, Daniel searches through a set of maintenance equipment not far from it.

"Ah, just where I left it," he pulls out a long carrying case, inside was his custom made, 7.62 NATO caliber Accuracy International anchored at the receiver with precisely torqued screws that held it in a glass-bedded, Monte Carlo style stock, above which the finely tuned barrel floated, less than the width of a dollar bill, allowing the barrel to flex freely when he fired the rifle.

Daniel pulls it out and fastens a 12 power Unertl scope, an old fashioned but very reliable scope for snipers. He looks over the barricade at the fire fight, then zeroes his rifle for five hundred yards.

"Shall we begin?" The Lieutenant asked the Specialist, as he loads the five round magazine into the rifle.

The brown eyed Black South African nods, "You take the right, and I'll cover you on the left."

"Right."

Luke sets position a little distance away, placing a Tactical Ops 5 power scope he brought along on the captured Eurasian weapon.

1st Lt. Spear aims his rifle over the barricade, setting his sights on his first target. He looks off scope for any UN troops who may in avertedly get in the line of fire, then goes back to the scope.

His heart pounded, sending the rifle scope's cross hairs rising and falling over his target – a man who seemed to be leading a small unit of Eurasian soldiers. The sniper waited for his pulse to settle. He had the same dilemma at Camp Perry, Ohio, when he won the Wimbledon Cup in 65CE. Though this shot was not nearly as difficult as firing at a 20 inch V-ring from a thousand yards away. This was hardly going to be much of a challenge for his marksmanship skills, the hangar maybe large but it was still small compared to the distances he's used to shooting at.

As his concentration narrowed more and more on the accuracy of his first shot, the pitch of his sight's crosshairs grew less and less erratic until the steadiness of a national champion marksman held the scope's center point steadily on the Eurasian squad commander.

The surprise of the rifle's discharge caused Luke to blink, and as he heard Daniel's bolt ejecting the shell and sending a second into the Accuracy International's chamber, Luke fires at the suddenly frozen figure on the far left of the defensive line.

The Eurasian leader lay dead at the feet of his unit. A seventeen year old soldier, who had been assigned to the base just a week ago, lay dead on the line's left flank. A third shot cracked, and another Eurasian squad leader rears with a 7.62mm. hole in his neck, just missing his body armor by mere millimeters.

The whole line froze, bewildered. Seasoned soldiers wisely ducked down immediately. Knowing full well that shot was from a sniper's weapon. Others scramble for better cover behind the crates on the side of the hangar, Daniel's and Luke's shots followed them, claiming soldiers in each report.

**Frank sees what's happening and looks up at the platforms.**

"That must be Danny and Luke."

Jethro nods and looks at the Archangel's officers, "Okay folks, that's our cue to skedaddle."

Murrue nods as she cocks the handgun given to her, Natarle and Mu did the same.

Frank yells at the other UN soldiers, "Deploy smoke! Move out!"

Some soldiers began to throw smoke grenades as the force began to move towards the shuttles to escape.

"Let's go!" Frank yelled as he dashes toward the shuttle.

"What about your two men up there?" Murrue asked as she and Jethro ran side by side.

"They can handle themselves," Jethro replied. "They're in a good enough position for us to get them later with mobilesuits."

"Aren't you worried of them getting stormed?"

Jethro chuckled as though he had been told a joke, "I doubt it. Danny probably had the foresight of setting some booby traps along the way to the door to where they are. And besides, the ZAFT ships' N-jammers make it impossible them to communicate with standard shortwave radio and as for these guys in the hangar, Danny's got them scared shitless."

Murrue nods as she heard the distinct sound of the sniper's rifle as another Eurasian soldier falls.

"Glad I'm not at the receiving end of that."

**Miyuki and Ivana continue to clash**

After locking blades for several moments, the two women push away from each other. In split second, Miyuki jumps onto the wall and vaults at Ivana. The Eurasian manages to jump out of the way, she thrusts her blade at her. Miyuki parries and makes a thrust of her own and which Ivana also parries. Miyuki then uses her elbow to strike her opponent in the jaw.

Ivana backs away, she rubs her jaw. She spits out some blood at the side.

"You're quite touchy today," Ivana commented. She eyes Miyuki thoughtfully. "That woman who called by your nickname, she's close to you isn't she?"

Miyuki doesn't say anything, but her eyes told Ivana exactly how she felt. They were full of darkness and anger that had been kept inside. She was just barely keeping it contained.

"You're quite protective of your past from her…" She continued, "Almost as though you're afraid of her knowing."

That last one struck home for Miyuki, Gurlukovich was dead on, was she being that obvious?

"Though she doesn't strike me as a vain woman, I don't think she'll leave you even if she knew who you were. Unless…"

Miyuki winced, It was almost as if Ivana was reading her mind. She had excellent assessment as her cousin's, it's a chore for her to hide her true feelings around Murrue when Antonio was around, an exercise of ultimate self-control, but of course, even that had its limits. It was out in the field or when no else is around her when she reveal her true, worn out soul, punished by months of emotional pain.

"You took away someone important to her, didn't you?"

A knot formed in her throat, the voices inside her head began talking again.

---

_Don't deny it…_

_You killed him…_

_Just like so many innocents you've killed before…_

_Like those during Uroboros… _

_Or should I say the April fool's Crisis…?_

_Like those in Jachin Due…_

_Like those in the Ides of March…_

_For that is what you are…_

_A murderer…_

_A destroying Angel…_

_Death's favorite daughter…_

---

"Shut up…" She muttered, shaking her head wildly pressing her hands toward her ears.

"Stop fucking telling what I already damn know…"

Ivana sighed, shaking her head. "Do you realize what you are doing to her?"

"How would you know," she glared at her. "You even know her!"

"I may not know her," Ivana replied. "But you of all people would tell how much pain she's going through!"

"What the hell are talking you about?" Miyuki growled. "Who are you to tell me how I should–"

"Are you that blind?" Ivana snapped, "Are you that stupid?"

"The longer you hide it from her, the more painful it will be when she eventually finds out. You can't hide forever, she will find out eventually."

She wanted to gag, the headaches and pain that riddled her body were all coming back. That was how bad the guilt was.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed, "Shut the fuck up! You don't fucking know the first thing I'm going through!"

"Oh on the contrary, I KNOW," Ivana's eyes darkened as well. "I fucking know what you're going through. You're not the only person in the world whose world was torn apart around you. I know how it feels to lose everything that matters to you."

"And here you are, afraid that someone you care for will know what you've done."

"You've turned into a coward and a fool Miyuki," Ivana's eyes narrowed. "Don't you see the pain you're causing her? How can you call yourself her friend?-!"

"You…" Her eyes flash in rage. That was the last straw.

She wildly lunges at the older woman. "I'll kill you!"

Ivana easily dodges and parries all of Miyuki's attacks which were no more than wild, random swings and thrusts. Gone was the methodical woman Ivana face just a while ago, she was replaced by someone made half-insane by grief.

A one point, Miyuki drops the knife she had taken from Ivana and draws her handgun, aiming it at her.

But Ivana quickly grabs the slide, and in one motion disconnects it to the rest of the gun. She than twists the arm then drives her elbow down Miyuki's.

Miyuki eyes widen as the pain synapses were delivered to her brain. She lets go of her blades and drops her knees, holding tight on the arm that had been dislocated. Her brain wanted her to scream but her throat numbed, her body was busy comprehending the pain. She presses her head against the floor, clenching her teeth.

Gurlukovich stared down at her, "Stop running away from what you done, take responsibility for your actions, only then will you find salvation for you and your friend."

She twirls her knife then slips it back in the scabbard under her sleeve.

"We'll do this again in another time." She picks up her cap and jacket and walks away.

Miyuki doesn't answer looking down at the floor, out of frustration, she bangs her head against the floor.

"Damn it… I'm sorry…"

Ivana looks over her shoulder, "I know. You'll survive this."

"I'll expect you to anyway," She added

Miyuki looks at the woman as she leaves.

She manages to smirk,_ Easier said than done. But you know that don't you?_

**Back at Artemis' hangars**

The UN had finally managed to pull out a large portion of their men back to the shuttles and were heading for the Artemis.

"I never thought I'd be glad to go into space with the enemy waiting us," Mu commented as he sat down on one the seats of the shuttle they were riding, taking the moment to finally rest since their entry into Artemis.

Murrue nods with a smirk, "That makes the two of us Lieutenant."

She turns to look at the ship XO, "What about you Ens. Badgiruel?"

Natarle didn't reply, she looking out one the windows with a deep frown in her face.

"Ens. Badgiruel?"

Mu notes her facial expression, "Hey ensign… Did what the Eurasians did piss you off or something?"

"Captain, Lt. La Flaga," Natarle finally replied. "Please look outside."

Both of them stared with wide eyes when they saw the two Moebius fighting the Strike and the Blitz.

"W-what the hell…?" Murrue began "Am I seeing things? Or are those…?"

An equally confused Mu gave a look at her, "It can't be… my Zero's the only one left."

"That thing outside is saying otherwise sir." Natarle replied

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**What are those ships?-!"**

A Zaft Dinn pilot asked no one in particular, as he fires his missiles on the Skiold-class, Tyr. The attack seemed not to affect the ship that much.

Around him, his teammates weren't having much success either. Whatever these ships were, they well armed, the machineguns and missile launchers were causing bad enough casualties. They surrounded the accompanying Tarawa-class, giving it more ample protection as it resupplied the Aries mobilesuits as they docked in.

But what was really hurting them was the white mobilesuit that was protecting the unknown fleet. No one in the unit knew what it was, it had similar characteristics to a Leos but it much more powerful.

One shot from its gun, which probably a railgun, was enough to destroy a mobilesuit. Its pilot was very skilled to the least, dodging every shot thrown against him or he would use he CIWS to cancel an attack. He was simply impervious to them, his caliber was well beyond theirs.

One young pilot however didn't think so. "Bastard! I'll kill you!"

Nathaniel easily spots him, he shakes his head. "Will…Valor…"

He puts away his railgun, and pulls out an Armor Schneider combat knife.

The young pilot's Dinn charges in straight at him with guns a blazing and firing all his remaining missiles at him.

Nathaniel uses shield to block the rounds and fires his CIWS to take out the missiles.

"…is useless without strength."

He throws the knife, striking the Dinn in the cockpit area. The Dinn flies past the white mobilesuit and into the murky depths of the sea, its pilot dead to the world.

"Neither strength alone, nor will alone can change the will of fate."

"Damn…" The Dinn pilot who witnessed the effortless dispatching of his fellow pilot cursed. He only one thing left to do, "Team, it's no good, fall back."

**Near the Odessa base, over an evergreen forest**

The Carrington team was engaging the four renegade mobilesuits they encountered.

Kanbei and Natsumi each kept a Dinn occupied, aggressively dogfighting their ways to an advantage.

Within the cockpit Xuiying Hong showed off her skill, as the Tallgeese placed its railgun and shield away, and drew two blades, Chinese scimitars of Daos named "Kirin Fang" which a Chinese kirin engraved on the blade, and "Blue Moon Dragon" with a blue dragon engraved, from its back and flew towards a group of dinns, decapitating and slashing off limbs any mobile suit in her way.

Noin in the mean time, finds herself fighting the team's leader, the steel grey cgue.

Lenneth's cgue flew above Noin, then charges at her with her spear.

"Whoa!" Moving her Aries to duck below the blade, Noin attempted countered by thrusting one of her beam sabers at the cockpit, but was to her surprise blocked by a sword. A katana called the Shiroi-yuri, Japanese for white lily. A beautifully made sword, the blade, sword guard and hilt all shined, the handle wrapped with a white fabric and cord. Like the Dainslef, was made in "the Graveyard."

"You're quite good," Lenneth said under her grin.

"You're not too bad yourself..." Noin grinned back. Parrying the Cgue's spear thrust, she charges at it and was on the offensive. "Your weapons must be anti-beam coated by the way."

"Correct" Lenneth pushes back by using both her melee weapons, slashing and thrusting with both, but Noin blocks her swipes perfectly at every angle her head.

"Excellent!" Lenneth yelled, "It's been a while since someone lasted this long against me."

"Glad you're happy." Noin grinned, firing her 57 mm CIWS on the cgue. Lenneth predicts the movements of Noin's Aries and evades it.

Noin was again on the offensive, swinging both beam sabers, attempting to slash Lenneth's cgue in half or at least lop off the arms before going for the kill.

"You think I won't see that?" Lenneth called, blocking saber in Noin's left hand with her spear.

"Gotcha!" Noin yelled. In the blink of an eye, she brought down the beam saber on her right.

Lenneth's eyes widen, "How-?"

She just barely manages to pull away, but the saber hit her cgue's left leg, damaging it severely.

"How did she do that so fast?" Lenneth was stunned, not knowing how she did what she did. "Is she a…?"

"In case you're wondering" Noin chuckled. "I'm just a Natural, Carrington!"

"You knew?" Lenneth sheaths her Katana and pulls out her machinegun and lets loose at her, making the Aries dodges her attack.

"Anyone who's fought in the Eurasian-Pacific should know who the Steel Huntress is!" Noin answers, She tosses one beam saber to the joint connecting Lenneth's left leg to the cgue's waist, disabling some of the thrusters in that leg.

"Damn!" Lenneth muttered, seeing the sensors on her displays that some parts of her suit's leg has been immobilized when she was forced to kneel down own the ground below.

"Now I have you..." Noin was about to pull out another saber when Belenus' Dinn attacks Lucrencia by simply tackling her in mid-air.

"I won't let you!" Belenus yelled, pinning her down with the dinns' arms holding Noin's Aries down.

"Maxwell, stand down! This is between me and her!" Lenneth tries to get her cgue up.

"I'm sorry ma'am" Belenus called. "But I have bad news from Suez, someone has ordered the orbital descent units to proceed!"

Lenneth scowled, "What! We haven't even secured a proper perimeter around the base yet! Under whose order was it?"

She however had forgotten to cut her transmission with Noin. Her face fell when she heard what was about happen.

_Pierce…! Zech…!_

**Up in orbit above the Odessa base**

Several Nazca-class ships began dropping reentry pods, each held three mobile suits. They gather speed and glowed brighter as the gravity well begun to pull them down. After several minutes, they break through the stratosphere.

Down Earth, Master Pierce Rayer's jaw drop when realizes where his sensors were detecting the enemy. Looking up in the sky, he could just barely make out the small dot-like silhouettes of the entry pods.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

Zechs was thinking the same thing, "Entry team, you'll have to move a little faster! ZAFT's about to hit us with an orbital drop!"

"What?-!" Sally yelled with surprise. "They actually bothered dropping on this backwater?-!"

The entry pod began split apart, releasing three mobilesuits each.

"Incoming!" Jacques yelled, he fires his railgun hitting one ginn, but there are several more take it's place and began firing at the small infiltration unit.

Pierce cursed as he returned fire, "We're sitting ducks out here."

"Hold the line!" He ordered the others, "Entry team is on their way. We'll have to hold them off a little while!"

"Hope that 'little while' doesn't take too long," Jacques muttered.

**Vincent climbed into the cockpit of the mobilesuit he had found**

He quickly got running, the main display shows him the name of the system that ran the suit.

---

**MOBILE SUIT OPERATION SYSTEM**

**///Version nvs - EU - X - 2.3 ////**  
**G**eneral  
**U**nilateral  
**N**euro - Link  
**D**ispersive  
**A**utonomic  
**M**aneuver  
**G.U.N.D.A.M Synthesis System**  
**O.M.N.I. Enforcer**

**F.O.S EURASIA**

---

Vincent was astonished by the Hyperion's weaponry, "Huh… beam submachine gun… beam knives… two beam canons… and what's this? They even gave this suit an 'Armure Lumiere' shield on each hand. That may come in handy."

He was quite aware that a lightwave shield was impervious to anything except anti-beam coated weapons.

However, Vincent was not impressed by the suit's existing OS set up. "If anyone can fight with this, then they're a better pilot than me…"

He pulls out a system jacking device and plugs into the mobile suit's computer, after a few keystrokes, the device began loading Vincent's custom OS which was a modified E.O.S. operation system. But he finds that the system was unable to use it.

_Huh… In that case… a coordinator OS perhaps? _

He tapped the keyboard a few more times, loads up the system. This time the mobilesuit responds.

Vincent smiles, "There… let's see what this puppy can do."

The ravens outside began crowing in unison, as though were trying to wake up the sleeping giant.

The Hyperion's eyes glow ominously in the dimly lit room as it began to move.

While Vincent inspects the rest of the suit's systems, he stumbles onto something.

"Well…This mobilesuit is not the only one this base… there are others, though not as powerful..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Things outside Artemis however, wasn't going so well for ZAFT**

"Damn," Gabriel White gritted his teeth. The Moebius Zero were taking a toll on the unit currently under his command taking cover behind the protruding pieces of metal on the surface of Artemis. They haven't suffered any losses yet but if this kept on that may change soon enough.

The rookie who constantly complained not too long ago wasn't helping the situation.

"Take this you damn bastards!" He recklessly fires his machinegun, not caring to aim his shots, wasting the little ammo he had left. This to any seasoned soldier was being more scared than brave.

"You stupid idiot! Get down!" Gabriel yelled, "Stop wasting your ammo, you'll get killed faster that-!"

His warning came too late, before he could finish his sentence the rookie's gets shot in several places by Ritchie's Zero, one of which was the cockpit area.

Gabriel cringed as the ginn explodes,_ damn…_

The Assault on Artemis has produced its first loss.

**On the ****Archangel****, Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, and Natarle Badgiruel had just reached the Bridge.**

"Captain!" Pal called, their sight relieved the members of the bridge.

While Ramius settled into the captain's chair, La Flaga took a detour into CIC.

"Great work, kids!" he said with a grin, ruffling Mir and Sai's hair.

"What's up with this fortress, anyway?" Sai wondered aloud.

"I think we should find out." The Hawk glanced up at Kuzzey, at communications, "Anything from Artemis?"

"I just pulled some surveillance footage, sir," Kuzzey replied. "It's encrypted, but I think we can crack it, given time."

"Get the computers working on it," La Flaga ordered. "It might be useful if there'll a board of inquiry on this."

"Crewman Buskirk," Ramius called. "Are all of the UN personnel aboard?"

"Most of them ma'am," the teen answered. "According to Sergeant Mills, they're still some unaccounted for."

"Any news from the Basilisk?" It was Badgiruel's turn to ask, "Are they on the way?"

"They're currently engaging with ZAFT forces."

"Captain," Sai called out. "From what I can tell from Artemis' system, we're dealing with one Nazca-class, one Laurasia-class, The Duel, Buster, Blitz and twelve ginns. Two of which are consistent with a ginn assault type and a ginn high maneuver."

Mu frowned, "Ginn High maneuver and Assault types… Those babies are better armed than a regular ginn, and they're usually given to elite pilots."

"As for the Eurasians," Sai continued. "They don't have much out, two Drake-classes and a Nelson, with about twenty Moebius units deployed and also… what…? That can't be right…"

"What is it Crewman Argyle?" Natarle asked.

Sai looks at her with a confused expression, "The data indicating the Eurasians have also deployed four Moebius Zero type mobile armors."

Natarle scratches the back of her head, "What in the world is going on around here?"

"You got me Ensign," Mu replied shaking his head as checks the data that Sai has on his station. "All it can tell you is that whoever's fighting for the Eurasians, they're definitely using something that's consistent to a Zero. The thing is… these models are equipped with beam gunbarrels."

"Crewman Haw," Murrue called. "What is the status of the Strike?"

"Kira is currently engaging the Blitz and two Zero." Mir replies as she listens to something on her headset.

"Captain," She called out. "Sergeant Snow is requesting to launch, he says he's going to support the remaining personnel on the ground and maybe the Strike."

"Give him permission," she ordered. "Get ready to launch Archangel as soon as we're clear. And patch in with all the personnel left in Artemis, tell them to board the Archangel immediately."

Natarle added, "They're probably using the UN general frequency, its 134.78 Delta Sierra Tango."

Murrue looked at her curiously, "Ensign, how did you…?"

"Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire told me about a couple of months back," She replied.

"Aren't those things supposed to be classified?"

Natarle smirked, showing her dimple and slight blush.

"Yes ma'am," She answered simply. "They are.""

**The Duel goes in for another close range attack, **

The Chimera quickly stores its beam rifles and pulls out its beam sabers. Antonio detaches the gatling shields to give himself better flexibility.

With a loud cry, Yzak drives down a beamsaber with both hands. The Chimera parries with it left saber underhanded, then swings his second saber at it. Duel pulls out its saber in time to parry it. Both mobilesuits pull out, the Chimera fires a cluster from its right missile pod. The Duel uses its CIWS to blow them up.

This time, Chimera charges in, it swings both its sabers together in a scissors formation. The Duel blocks with its arms crossed, its right saber blocking the Chimera's own right saber and vice versa. He pushes its sabers upwards along with the Chimera's in its own scissors move. As he did so, Yzak returns the favor by kicking the cockpit area of the Chimera.

"Whoa!" Antonio yelled at the hit but manages to quickly recover, making the Chimera feint from the Duel's sabers as it swung aggressively. He fires its railguns, to make the Duel back off.

Antonio smiled at the Duel, nodding at the way he evaded his attacks.

_Not bad for a hot head._

From what he gathered from his personal assessment and Wynn's information on the Duel pilot, Yzak Joule was a solid close combat fighter with good use of tactics. He definitely had some experience, though could tell he was still a little green and a rather obvious hot temperament.

Yzak looked at the Chimera with newborn respect, the pilot was different from the Strike.

Whoever it was definitely had experience. His judgment and timing were excellent. And he almost felt the confidence of his attacks each time they crossed weapons.

Unknowingly, both pilots smiled at the other.

Both thought, _I think I'm gonna like this._

**The Buster and Siginarugan were giving out an equally intense show.**

Michael was a veteran of one on one engagement, ever since the birth of the mobilesuits as a weapon of war.

His opponent, Dearka Elsman though was using the Buster, was no slouch when it came to close combat himself.

Both suits went at each other relentlessly, their weapons crossed in quick flurries of strikes then they break off, pulling back as far as the harpoon line would allow it.

As they did, they circle each other, trying to get the upper hand in maneuvering.

When they went at each other, both suits virtually slam their bodies at each other. The impacts were loud and bone jarring to the pilots who fought.

Both young men were now running on their wits, their instincts and adrenaline as they strike and parry each other's attacks continuously, trading quips and insults as they did.

Dearka felt wired and pumped up, he exhilarated, this was the first time had this type of rush. And he liked it. Michael was feeling the same thing was been there before also enjoyed it.

"Hey Buster, wanna go back to the standard way?" Michael radioed.

"And miss all this fun?" Dearka replied. "You wish."

"**Sergeant Snow, you're for clear for launch." **

Mir informed the ex-Oceanic Union marine. "The Eurasians have Moebius zero mobile armors

"Copy that bridge, Frank Snow moving out."

The Legionnaire firefly leaves the Archangel, its leg pulls into its hover frame. Its hand armament was the usual gunlauncher.

Frank sees that the Strike was engaging

"Hey, little Nipper!" Frank yells as he tries to aim his Gunlauncher at the Zero that flew past him. "Do you need a hand?

"Never mind me!" Kira replied as he throws his beam boomerang at one Zero which it easily dodges. "I heard what you're supposed to do out here. Sergeant, go support those who are left, I can handle it here for now!"

Frank notes that the Blitz wasn't directly engaging the Strike, focusing its energy on the two Zeros.

_They both probably think they're the bigger threat_, Frank thought. _I guess the saying is still plausible, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"_

"Okay," Frank finally said. "Just don't get reckless mate."

**Wynn and Regina make their way through the labyrinth of Artemis' multiple hangars**

Regina carried the Gungnir unit on her back where the Aile pack would've been, she didn't really needed it out in space since the Wyvern had its own built in verniers. They entered the base virtually undetected, taking a maintenance shaft as their route into the main lines. Neither talked much, they were maintaining radio silence, using hand signals to communicate.

Their infiltration went smoothly, until they get something in their sensors.

"Three ginns," Wynn called, "Heading straight for us."

"Copy," Regina looks around where they were, a connecting tunnel that linked up all hangars together in that level, it was used to transport heavy materials from one ship to another and as a direct route to Artemis storage facility. "Watch it Wynn, it's a little tight in here, careful with missiles in here."

"Roger that," Wynn readies her beamrifle, attaching a saber below its muzzle.

"**Two unidentified suits up ahead," Rusty announced.**

"It's same the same type suit Aelia commandeered."

Leona raised an eyebrow, "Wynn eh? Well this'll be interesting… I'll hang back to see which one is Wynn's."

"And I'll see how good the other pilot is," Heine called. "I hear from reports it's the 'Winged Fury'" piloting the other one, that particular Eurasian woman gave me quite a beating back in the Eurasian- Pacific conflict. I think it's time return the favor."

"Sounds good to me," Rusty replied. Pulling out a beamsaber he had taken from the spare parts for the G-units with one hand, while the other still held the beam rifle. "Let's go then!"

The three ginns boost forward, Leona's "Cervantes" lagging slightly behind.

"Go!" Regina yelled as the Wyvern boosted side by side.

Heine's ginn HM went straight at Regina's Wyvern, swinging its heavy sword at it. Regina holds up her shield to block and counters with a beam blast and a burst from her CIWS. Heine skillfully dodges this, firing his Pardus missiles as he did. Regina destroys those with her Igelstellungs.

Rusty yells out a cry as he swings his beam saber at Wynn's Wyvern. Wynn activates the attached to the rifle, parrying the attack then firing the rifle. Rusty narrowly dodges the attack, he backs off, firing his own beam rifle. Wynn uses her shield, which absorbs the shot. Rusty charges in, shooting his beam continuously.

"Rusty," Wynn called out. "You're gonna use up you battery faster that way."

She throws her shield twirling at her like a Frisbee, Rusty fires at it, then remembers it was anti-beam coated. Before he could react, he gets struck by it. Wynn pulls out an Armor Schneider and rushes in. Rusty swings at her but she gets past it and plunges her knife into his suit's right arm which held the beam saber.

She was about to hack off the other with her beam saber bayonet. But she notes the ginn assault type wasn't fighting her partner nor was in her field of view.

Sensing she was about to be snuck from behind, Wynn elbowed the Cervantes and blocked an attempt to fire its gatling guns at her by flying out of the way with the help of her Aile Pack that enabled him to go behind the ginn before pulling out her other beam saber.

"Nice try!" Head locking the ginn with one arm, Wynn apply as much pressure in disabling her adversary. When she drew out her remaining Armor Schneider, the Ginn Assault type pulls out its own armor and manages to stab Wynn at the side just inches below the cockpit.

Wynn cursed, releasing her hold on the Assault type then drawing out her beam saber and rifle which still had the saber attached on it.

The Assault type moves off with unusual speed, draw out a 20 meter broad sword, it engraved with old Norse runes.

Wynn immediately recognized the weapon and utters its name, "Grand Sting."

She frowned, switching her radio frequency, "There are only a few people in the whole of ZAFT crazy enough to use a large weapon like that with a low mobility unit like the 1017AS. And you're one of them Leona."

"Correct," Leona chuckled. "You've gotten a little better, Janus."

"So did you Leo," Wynn answered back. "But I don't have the time to play right now."

"Tough," Leona replied as she attacks.

**Regina's Wyvern and Heine's ginn were busy exchanging beam saber blows with one another.**

"I doubt you remember me," Heine began executing a downward sword slash. Regina pulls out a beam saber and blocked Heine's blow, his sword was also anti-beam coated. "But you owe me quite a bad beating back in the last war, 'Winged Fury.'"

"I'd normally like to chat about that," Regina replied, doing a shoulder tackle after she successfully blocked the sword attack. "But I really don't have the time for this."

"Oh?" He raised an eye brow. "Well, I'm afraid I can not accept that!"

The two mobile suit pilots clashed their weapons. Heine made a horizontal beam saber slash while Regina did a vertical beam saber slash, leading to a stalemate.

Heine gritted his teeth, trying to gain an advantage with his ginn HM over Regina's Wyvern. _She's just as good in a mobilesuit… I hate to admit it but you're good…_

Regina was impressed with Heine's skill. _Not bad… Not bad at all…_

"Heine!"

Rusty's ginn engages the Wyvern in combat, drawing out its beam saber as he went in.

_Hooboy…_ Regina raises her Mk3 Hoppod "Gungun" Shield in time to parry the beam saber, countering him by executing a beam slash of her own. _This is going to be a long day…_

"Don't get comfy," The ginn HM gave support by firing its machinegun. The pilot then introduced herself to Rick, "The name's Heine Westenfluss by the way, surrender while you still can."

Regina decided to put some humor into the situation. "Surrender? I've just getting warmed up Heine. Or as Oliver Hazard Perry said it, 'I have but only began to fight!'"

"Strong words, Natural!" Heine, chuckling a bit from her remark, charges at her.

Using the Wyvern's verniers to boost out of the way, Regina executed a drop kick. Aiming at the center of Heine's Ginn HM, she kicked the cockpit area with both feet.

"Argh!" Heine grunted, Hurtling on the floor. Rusty moves out to assist Heine.

"Heine!" The young red haired elite yelled. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Heine responded, "Watch it kid, this one's real good. Don't underestimate her."

_Ugh… Why do I always get double teamed on?_ Regina began to engage the modified ginn.

"Let me introduce myself," The pilot gritted under his pilot helmet. "I'm Russell Mackenzie of the Le Creuset team and I'll be your executioner for the day."

"Le Creuset team?" Regina's eyes narrowed, right now, the very thought of Rau's name annoyed her greatly. "Damnit, so you decided to follow us all the way here eh… I wonder if you are ready for a Euro-Pac-style battle."

"Before this day's over, I'll finish you right here, right now." Rusty raised his beam rifle after putting away his beam saber. "Die, Eurasian! This is for all those ZAFT soldiers you killed during that war!"

Regina blocked the shots with her beam shield, and using her M19 beam rifle to answer the beam shots by firing bursts, canceling out the incoming beam shots from the customized ginn.

She almost reminds me Wynn... Rusty decided to put away his beam rifle and draw out his beam saber again.

"It isn't me who's gonna die today!" Getting back to the offensive, Regina slammed her suit's shoulder on Rusty's ginn so hard that his mobile suit nearly collapsed if he didn't quickly countered the force that Regina had exerted.

Rusty gritted his teeth, fainting back from a beam slash that followed the tackle. _I need some help here…_

"Miss me, Fury?" Heine prepared to dive bomb Regina from the air, he attacks her with his machinegun.

"Don't hold your breath pal." Regina retorted, putting away her beam rifle and shield, and pulling out both beamsabers. She began swinging both sabers independently from each other, simultaneously fighting both pilots.

"Whoever said women are the weaker sex," Rusty muttered to Heine, "Obviously had rocks in his head!"

**Smoke partially obscured the hangar, but it did not provide the cover the Eurasian soldiers had hoped. **

The two UN Special Taskforce soldiers remained crouched in their positions, looking over the positions the Eurasians were. Watching heads pop from behind cover.

Luke notices their UN troops were moving out and the Eurasian were staring to move at them.

"Our boys are making their move," He commented.

Daniel replied with a shot that dropped a young Eurasian soldier, and Luke replied with a crack that downed another. Daniel worked his rifle's bolt so rapidly that his fire kept pace with Luke's which was operated automatically.

After they down six men, the Eurasian attempt to stop the UN troops evaporated, the last two retreated back to the relative safety of the crates but are shot before they reach it. All the enemy fire was wild.

At one moment, one of the Eurasian officers scrambled to his feet and ran toward the entrance to the base itself. His cries echo in the hangar as he ran for dear life. Just as he was about to disappear in the smoke, a rifle cracked from the platforms, he fell on his face with a 7.62mm. boat tailed round lodged in his spine.

"Luke," Daniel called out, keeping his eye on the scope. "How many rounds you got left?"

Luke feels his pocket for the magazines, "One mag, that's 30 rounds out of the gun. You?"

"Twenty rounds in four mags and three in the gun," Daniel replied without even checking, he always counted his ammunition in his head, it was a part of his job as a sniper.

"Hope, somebody decides to pick us up soon." He continued, "I don't want to have to use up all my ammo here."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Black Avalanche was starting to go badly**

Several Scandinavian and Equatorial Spec Ops and mercenaries were trapped in the middle of a hostile base. Their support was still several kilometers away. ZAFT had launched an Orbital drop, deploying several dozen units into the base.

The BuCUE Jackal units were now low on ammo and energy as their batteries continue to drain as the time passes, and were outnumbered. The Entry had just exited the facility, they were rushing to their suits.

"Get to your mobilesuits, fast!" Sally Po yelled, as a BuCUE Jackal covers them. Luck however decided to stack the odds against them a little more.

As Sally was about to board her Legionnaire, it gets hit by a shot of beam energy, destroying it instantly. She was thrown blown from the blast a several feet away. Dazed, she pushes herself back to her feet.

"What…?" She turns her to see what shot that weapon, was it ZAFT?

About a hundred feet away was her answer, several dozen mobilesuits she hasn't seen before. Their frame was a humanoid shape, from what she could tell, they were at least with a beam rifle and a shield.

"Pierce!" Zechs yelled, "Entry had been hit!"

Rayer looks at him, "What! By what?"

"Unidentified," Zechs grimaced. "From what Amid and Sally can tell, they're similar to the new Wyvern units. They're quite a few of them."

Pierce yelled in frustration as gives out they order to fall back, giving ZAFT the ground they just gained. The three BuCUE Jackals returned to ground zero.

The surviving mobilesuits of the Entry team fought with the Eurasian mobilesuits. Sally had commandeered Vincent's Leos, seeing that the Eurasian wasn't around. _If he doesn't like it, he'd better explain to me where he ran off too._

She fires the suit's MMG68 120mm. multibarrel heavy machinegun and 57mm. CIWS at the crowd of enemy mobilesuits, dodging beamfire by overboosting from side to side. The new suits' pilots obviously knew how to control their machines, there was very little control stuttering, which was common among new pilots. But she guessed they had no actual combat experience. She orders her unit to spread out. She and her team aimed at the cockpit areas of the suits, taking down as many as they could, without taking casualties of their own.

Sally blocks a beam shot with shield, mentally thanking the Equatorial military officer who decided to begin applying anti-beam coating into the military equipment before the Wyvern would come into service. She retaliates with a well aimed burst from the machinegun to cockpit.

"Commander, look out!" One of her team members yelled. She turns around to find a Eurasian mobilesuit just about to swing its beam saber._ Damn!_ She forces to back off but it was too late too block evade, she braces herself for impact.

But attack doesn't come. The mobilesuit gets hit with a volley of green energy rounds, hitting it then exiting the other side. It then falls. Sally, though confused, backs off before the suit explodes. She then turns around to the direction of the shot.

"Who?"

There stood another suit she never seen before, but according to her IFF system it was friendly.

"Look what I found a little deeper into the base," Vincent called to her with a satisfied smile. "Looks like the Eurasian military had been busy."

Sally frowned at the Eurasian mercenary, "So you went treasure hunting. If I was still in the Equatorial military, I would have you court-marshaled for insubordination."

"Well you aren't," Vincent haughtily replied. "And don't be so mad."

He gave an even wider grin, "I saved your life haven't I? Before thankful I even came back."

Sally's raises an eyebrow, "Maybe it's just because I'm using your suit."

Vincent looks at her with mock hurt, "Oh, that's a cruel thing to say."

Additional discussion was interrupted by fire from the Eurasian mobilesuits. When it did, both pilots returned to the professional stances.

"Those suits are GAT-01D Long Daggers," Vincent began. "They're armed with two beam sabers, "Igelstellung" CIWS, shield and a 57mm high-energy beam rifle with a 175mm grenade launcher. They're rather high performance. From what I understand, these things are fitted with coordinator OS's. And they're piloted with the so-called "combat coordinators" we've been hearing so much about or-"

"Children that have been through the nano-enrichment process," Sally finished.

Vincent looks at his Leos in the corner of his eye, "You've seen them?"

Sally nod, "Gamma Gliphalium Regen chambers yes."

"Those weren't filled with Gamma Gliphalium," Vincent replied with a frown, disgusted by it himself. "They're filled with Gamma Glipheptin."

Sally shot a wide eyed glance at the Hyperion, "No… they can't seriously…!"

"They have," Vincent interrupted. "In fact, I believe the end results are piloting those mobilesuits."

Sally was starting to breathe a little faster, she looks at the downed Long Daggers that littered the ground, her stomach turned.

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**The tide had begun to turn up in space**

With the aid of the Eurasian mobile armors, Artemis had deployed all of its mobile armors. Normally, this wouldn't be much of a problem for ZAFT forces. However, the sheer numerical advantage of the Eurasian was great, and with a presence of the Eurasian Moebius Zeros, who apparently had experienced pilots, were a formidable foe even with the G-Units.

Yzak and Dearka were forced to break off their respective fights as they Gamow and Lee sent distress calls to their mobilesuits as they were under attack. As the return to their ships, they get attacked by a Eurasian Zero and several Moebius.

"Ah…" Wade Mossberg smiled as he saw the two mobilesuits. "The big fish… You're mine!"

He lets loose his gunbarrels and attacks them directly. The Buster and Duel, the batteries weakened by their battles with the Chimera and Siginarugan, sparingly fire back as they as return to the Gamow.

"Damn…! Yzak cursed, as a volley of beam headed his way. He holds up the shield and braces for impact.

The Chimera however jumps in front of the volley, and twirls the Mandarangan rapidly, canceling the beam shots.

Yzak stares the suits, "What the hell are you-?"

"I have a proposition to make," Antonio interrupted as Michael's Siginarugan fires his beamcanon and flaklauncher at the Eurasians. "From what I understand, since the Vesalius is not here, and since the Aegis isn't here either, you're in charge. You guys are in tight spot and so are we, right now this battle is three way and right now the Eurasians are having the upper."

"I'm not telling you to conspire with the enemy, and I'm with the UN, a neutral party. But right now your men should be the first thing on your mind."

The Chimera then aims one of his beamrifles, "So. What it going to be, Yzak Joule."

Yzak stares hard the Chimera, "You know. You have a lot of nerve for a Natural."

He cracks a smirk, "But you've got a point."

He connects himself with all the other ZAFT mobilesuits, he announced that the legged ship, its mobile weapons and the UN forces were for to be considered friendly. Antonio makes a similar transmission.

**Naturally, everyone was taken aback by this.**

Rusty wondered if that was even Yzak he just heard, he switches his frequency. "Hey Wynn… Did you guys get an order…?"

"Uh huh…" Wynn replied. "I guess… we're allies… at least for now…"

The two Wyverns and three ginns float in zero-g, a little unsure of their temporary alliance.

Leona raises her eyebrow, "This is quite a development…"

Regina shook her head, "That's the Lt. Colonel's initiative for you."

"I guess self-preservation should be primary right now." Heine commented.

**The Archangel's bridge was just as flabbergasted.**

Murrue dropped her jaw at the audacity of the announcement, "Did I just hear that…? "

"You did," Mu said with a dimpled smirked. "You did."

Natarle shook her head, "That's Antonio for you."

**Capt. Zelman made a transmission to the Duel**

"What the hell are you thinking Yzak Joule?-!" The Gamow captain yelled, "You realize the penalties we face if-!"

"Stuff it!" Yzak snapped, "Right now, the Eurasians are having the upper hand. If we don't work with them, even if we do win here, we're going to lose a lot of men! If you have any complaints of my actions you can take it to the Defense Council!"

Antonio listened into the transmission and smirks back, "We'll cover you, resupply then get back here."

Yzak nods, the Duel heads to the Gamow, "Copy. C'mon Dearka, let's move it before we miss the fun!"

Buster follows, "Right!"

"Ant," Michael called as the Siginarugan flies beside the Chimera. "What the hell did you get us all into?"

"We'll find out soon enough," He replied, as several dozen mobile armors went at them.

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**Vincent frowned as he tried to overboost the Hyperion.**

It was as agile as a brick, the vernier system was providing inadequate lift. Because of that, he was relying more the "Armure Lumiere" shield, he knew it was consuming more energy than the beam submachine, canon and knives.

He fires his beam submachinegun at several targets, a mix of ginns and long daggers, Vincent pulls out three beam knives and throws them at three separate mobilesuits at their cockpits. They turn into three explode balls of fire.

"Ms. Po is there any support coming yet?" The platinum haired Eurasian called. "Even this new suit won't last too long in this melee."

Sally looks at him, "You're actually getting nervous?"

The Entry team made a defensive perimeter, using nearby buildings as cover.

"Hey Vincent!" Pierce called as three BuCUE Jackal trot toward them. "Looks like you've got thing under control here."

He whistles as he saw the Hyperion and the devastation it caused. "Man, that thing's hot."

"And quite the gas guzzler," Vincent commented. "My battery's already the halfway gone."

"Well, that's what you get if you're armed with only beam weapons," Sally added.

"True," Vincent nods. "It's still a good set up though."

"Commander!" a Legionnaire Scorpion overboosts toward them, "There's large contingent of ginns and cgues coming from the north, and there's another unit of Long Daggers emerging from the lower base in the northwest and we're getting reports from Red Tango Charlie of a unit of dinns is coming from the southeast."

Pierce sighs with exasperation, "It just keeps getting better and better…" he muttered, then take command of the situation.

"Jacques," He calls. "You and Amid stick around here and support the Entry team."

He switches the frequency, "Zechs, Vince, let's go."

"Copy," both men replied.

He they left, he make one more transmission, "Sally, stand by if anyone gets postal."

She nods, knowing what that meant. "Just makes sure you guys stay within the time limit.

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**The two BuCUE Jackals and the Hyperion in the base north of Odessa, and the Chimera and Siginarugan up outside Artemis.**

All were pinnacles of mobilesuit design. And their pilots, Antonio Le St. Claire, Michael Takahashi, Vincent Allen Schellezar, Master Pierce Rayer and Zechs Merquise, were some of the finest Natural pilots in current existence. Even with that, they were facing formidable odds. All of them knew there was no other way but to use it.

Five warriors, all at once both of their eyes' irises turn blood red, pupils turn into slits.

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**Antonio uses his beamrifles to dispatch the multiple Moebius mobile armors coming at them**

Round orbs of explosions dotted the space along the path of the each beam shot. He flies in amidst a cluster of Moebius, reeking havoc as he did, firing his CIWS and chest mounted machineguns.

Several Moebius mobile armors, some were obviously fitted with beam weaponry try to surround the Chimera. They got a nasty surprise in what happens next.

The Chimera's legs transform, turning to its hover or "missile boat" frame. It then sudden starts revolving in a seemingly random axis. It activates the long dormant plasma launcher, what would've a pillar of flame in atmosphere, was a glowing pillar of pure plasma. The long pillar of energy spread out rapidly like ripples in a pond. Catching and destroying Moebius armors stupid enough to come close.

**Michael gets a transmission from Antonio**

"Mike, clear a path for the Archangel to cross!"

The brunette haired, green eyed Orb soldier nods, "One path, coming right up!"

The Siginarugan boosts toward Artemis.

"Where do ya' think you're goin'?" Wade drawled as he chases after him.

Michael ignores him, he decide switch on his wings, "Activating RHEA system high mobility mode."

The Siginarugan's wings uncover its body, they set themselves in its back, and the thrusters on it give the Siginarugan additional boost.

"Hey!" Wade yelled as he desperately and futilely tries to catch up.

Michael looks over his shoulder, "'later slow poke."

He splits the Sidapa in half and uses the beam kamas to slice anything that tried to get in his way. He left a path of destruction as he boosted to Artemis. At one moment, a Eurasian Drake-class attempts to fire its weapons at him.

Michael shakes his head as he dodges and counters the enemy.

"You just signed your death warrant pal!" He pulls out the beamsaber he got back from the Buster and throws it straight at it, striking the bridge. Not satisfied, Michael goes at the crippled ship. Using the Sidapa, he slices the whole forward section of the ship.

**Down on earth, Pierce, Zechs and Vincent were creating similar havoc**

Zechs and Pierce went through everything that was on the ground like the clichéd hot knife through butter. They dodged and counter every attack thrown at them and then some. Showing quite clearly, why the BuCUE is one of the most feared land mobilesuits. They occasionally use their railguns, mainly to take out of reach targets. What they really used to effect were the beam sabers, they several times much lighter than the old cutter blades and spikes, making the BuCUE much more maneuverable. It didn't make any difference when they were fighting the ZAFT ginns or the Eurasian long daggers, they just fell.

Zechs sees several dinns just about to fly over him, he level his railgun. Normally a shot like that for him would be 50-50, but into the state he was in, he could easily time his shots with dead accuracy. At the first shot, he hits two dinns.

Pierce comes across a long dagger that had the guts draw out its beam saber at him.

He raises an eyebrow, "Well, well, what a rather brave pilot we got here. Okay, just because you've got such balls, I'm going to just cut your arms and head."

His BuCUE runs across the little distance between it and the long dagger. He jumps, moving his BuCUE's head slowly as he jumps over it. Cutting exactly where he said he would, the arms and head.

**Vincent, though he was a little cautious due to the fact he was on a new suit, was also causing a lot of grief.**

He was currently sticking with a Romteknica beam knife in each hand, seeing they were lowest energy consuming weapon he had. With the suit standing half-crouched, he runs and slashes at the cockpits of ginns or long daggers like a ninja.

Vincent runs at three long daggers, quickly dispatching two by plunging his knives into the cockpit, he quickly pulls back as the third tries to fire at him. Vincent thrusts the beam blade of his beam knife against a Long Dagger beam saber. He fires his CIWS into the long dagger's head destroying the camera. This causes the pilot to panic, easing pressure on the saber. Vincent capitalizes by thrusting his other knife into the cockpit.

**The pilots fighting these men were all generally thinking the same thing.**

_Were these people even human?_

They moved and react so much faster than even most coordinators can handle. Despite being out numbered, they were still gaining the upper hand. They have no idea of what these men were capable of. Because to the state they were in, their reflexes, decision functions and five senses are heightened, making them highly reactive and very efficient in all types of combat. But as if that wasn't enough, they still had one more trump card.

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**Each of the five pilots looks at their watches **

Several minutes had gone by, just enough to perform the final phase safely.

_Okay… _All five pilot thought, _Here we go!_

Their irises makes another metamorphosis, a shade yellow began to emerge from the side of the pupil, it expands leaving only the red on the edges of the iris. In this state, they were experiencing high levels of pain all over their head and body. But they've done this so many times that they learned to ignore the pain for a length of time, just long enough to effectively utilize this state's benefits. In this level of their capabilities, their decision function, reflexes and senses were in a hypersensitive state. Meaning they could hear the subtle sounds like moving parts, breathing, heartbeats, muscle contraction and expansion. Also in this state, people new to this would experience having spatial awareness, the proverbial sixth sense, though experienced users were capable of this even in lower stages.

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**Antonio kicks off, with deactivating his PSA,**

Seeing that his energy display was almost borderline, and he didn't really needed it by then. This also encouraged several Moebius armors to move in one him. Big mistake.

Antonio pulls out his beamrifles. Without waiting for the computer to lock on target, he fires them along with his Gatling shields, 105mm. canons, railguns, and machineguns. All of them found their targets, demolishing everything the Chimera's pilot considered hostile. It wasn't long when he sees the Moebius Zero who attacked the Duel earlier going at him.

"It doesn't make any difference if I'm alone," Wade boldly declares.

"Y'all a' goin' down!" His gunbarrels attempt to attack the chimera, which activates his Rommel Panzer, absorbing the shots.

The Chimera boosts toward it, Mandarangan in hand.

"Oh you wanna fight eh?" Wade sneered, firing another shot from his linear cannon at Antonio's Chimera. "I'll give you one!"

"Buddy," Antonio murmured, vectoring in on the Zero, "I'd actually be glad if you just get lost... now!"

Wade quickly finds he was fighting someone well beyond his league. In a flash, the Chimera uses its Gatling shields to destroy three of his main gunbarrels, and one of the smaller ones. Antonio boosts at Wade as he tries recalling his remaining gunbarrels. Not quick enough though as the Chimera severed the remaining weapons he had.

"Damn…" Gritting his teeth, seeing that he lost, he pulls back.

**Michael also deactivates his PSA**

This also attracts several mobile armor, which were all easily destroyed by one swing of the Sidapa and several aimed machinegun bursts. As he close in to Artemis, he spots a Moebius Zero attacking the entrenched Hawke team. Without a word, he moves in.

Ritchie quickly notices him, "Hey! More targets to blow up!"

He quickly aims several gunbarrel at him.

The Siginarugan splits the Sidapa scythe into two and crosses its arms.

As the gunbarrels close in, Michael yells, "Get a load of this!"

He throws both kamas, which twirled like boomerangs, severing the wire of the attacking gunbarrels before returning to their owner.

Ritchie clicks his tongue, now focusing all his attention on the mobilesuit. With his surviving gunbarrels and his lineargun, begun firing at it. Michael dodges by a series of quick strafes and rolls. He links the Sidapa together, he hold the scythe with one hand as the other held the beamcanon. He levels the beamcanon and fires a grenade.

Michael looks away before the Zero shoots the grenade, letting loose a blinding light. It was the same tactic the Duel had used earlier.

"Argh!" Ritchie yelled, while the Zero's pilot was blinded, Michael destroys all the remaining gunbarrels.

Despite being blinded, Ritchie manages to pull away before, the Siginarugan finishes him.

"I'll get you next time!" The young pilot snarled as he got away.

"Hey," Gabriel sends a transmission. "UN pilot, thanks for the assist."

"You're welcome," Mike replied as he boosts off.

Gabriel smirks as he watches the suit fly away, "It's just like back in the Euro-Pac."

Mike smiled, glad to see that old allies were still within ZAFT's ranks.

"It is."

**Vincent mounts out the "Forfanterie" beam cannons over the Hyperion's shoulders**

The resulting beam shot wipes out several the last surviving long daggers, effectively wiping out the base's ability to defend itself. Vincent fires a second shot, this time at the air, obliterating several dinns. Vincent frowns when hear the low power alarm which went off after the last shot.

"I'm almost out…" He mutters as several ginns head for him.

"Vincent!" His Leos appears from behind him.

"Catch!" Sally throws at him his mobilesuit nodachi, the "Durandal."

The Hyperion catches it. As he did, he unintentionally looks up, finding that the ravens were circling the sky. One flies toward the Hyperion, perching on its shoulder.

Vincent looks at it for a moment, and then speaks.

"I see…"

He looks at the ginns, the levels his sword him. "The ravens marked you all, your deaths shall be by my hand."

The Hyperion suddenly dashes forward, the Durandal in hand. Like a berserker of the old Germanic and Saxon tribes, he charges headlong at them, he uses the 360 degree shield despite the little power he had left. With a horizontal slash, he severs three ginns in half. He reels back then lunges in for a thrust, impaling two more.

**Zechs runs into a crowd of long daggers, cutting several in a row.**

He makes his BuCUE jump on top of a long dagger, the dagger pilot shoots his beam rifle wildly. Zechs makes the long dagger turn to one side, shooting the long dagger beside it. Zechs then activates the double beam saber in the BuCUE Jackal's head and stabs it into the long dagger's cockpit. Jumping off the dispatched suit, he pierces the cockpit of another with its Armor Jaeger blades.

A group of ginns then catches his attention, "Numbers…"

He activates his beamsabers, "…mean nothing!"

Dodging the machinegun fire, he runs pat them cutting in several places as he did.

**His partner, Pierce, was just as busy dissecting enemy mobilesuits.**

He was using similar run and cut tactics. The young lets out a battle cry as he crashes and cuts his way through a unit of ginns. At the same time, a Dinn dives down to strafe at him. Pierce levels the railgun, but does not fire immediately. After few more seconds, just as the pilot was about to let loose a barrage of missiles, Pierce fires. But it completely misses the Dinn.

The pilot of the Dinn smirked, "What the heck are you shooting at? You can't even hit the side of a-"

The Dinn gets hit. But not by enemy fire, it struck by a crashing Dinn. Pierce had shot it just at the right moment. Both Dinns explode in midair by another railgun shot.

**A pair of Dinns attempt to strafe run at the battle weary units below.**

But unfortunately Zechs and Pierce spot them and were running on high speed opposite at them. They continue on until at one moment when both mobilesuit jettison their railguns. Pierce's BuCUE jumps on the back of Zechs', at the same time, Zechs jumps. After reaching the height of the jump, Pierce lunges upwards, using Zechs' BuCUE for leverage. He yells out a cry as he his beamsabers activate all at once. Both Dinns explode after they had been bisected in the middle.

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**All five pilots look at their watches, there was only seconds to spare.**

Antonio and Michael take off their helmets and loosen their suits. Pierce, Zechs and Vincent did the same with their shirts. All of them take out a syringe that held a transparent bluish-green substance. After fastening their upper right arms tightly, they all inject it into their system. Their eyes began to return to normal. The yellow and red first disappear from the iris, and then the pupils return to their normal round form.

All of them were breathing deep. All were in a cold sweat.

And all thought the same thing. _That was too close…_

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"**Watch out!" **

Frank yells as his EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type Firefly fires his CIWS at the Eurasian positions, peppering them with ordnance.

"There's our cue," Daniel said as he began packing his rifle.

Luke nods, "I'll cover you down, go!"

Daniel tosses a rope he tied to the barricade earlier down to the lower level, with his rifle case strapped to his back, he gingerly rappels down to the lower floor. All the time Luke looked out for anyone who might take a potshot on him.

At the base of the rope, he kneels and draws his sidearm. "It's clear, go!"

Luke shoulders the strap of his rifle, then rappels down haphazardly, almost loosing his grip halfway down. Both men dashed like mad across the hangar toward a waiting shuttle.

"Christ sake…!" Luke heaved in horse breaths as they ran toward it, "It didn't look… that far… when… we were… up… there…!"

"Just keep going," Daniel gulped, trying to talk. Think about the… Eurasians… We better keep… running… God knows… what they… do to us… Don't… stop!"

They charged through the clearing, accompanied by other men, ignoring the rounds exploding around them, they saw the shuttles engines starting. The men commandeering the craft saw them, now waited anxiously, ready.

The shuttle lifted off the wading dock as the men jumped in.

Daniel's and Luke's knees gave way, falling down to the floor of the shuttle. Daniel rolled on his back, blinking from sweat in his eyes as they streak down his face. His chest heaved and his head pounded. With his hand, he felt Luke's shoulder and arm at his side, and smiled triumphantly. All was well… for the moment anyway.

**All the UN soldiers have now returned to the ship. **

Most went straight to their assigned stations, Jethro and Luke headed to the bridge, others took the wounded and Daniel to the infirmary, the sniper had passed out due to exhaustion, while Miyuki and others went for the hangar.

Once she made it to the hangar, the last of the Eurasian had barely left, Miyuki went right for the Strike GINN.

"Murdoch, Get the Sword pack ready!" She called down.

"Ma'am, we haven't changed the Ginn's battery yet!" Murdoch called up to her.

"So, who cares?" She snapped, "It won't have a ship to be recharged if I don't."

Murdoch sighs, "The kid has the Sword pack, you'll have to use the others."

"Then I'll take the Aile pack," She gets into the cockpit, and began activating the machine.

She hisses in pain as she tries to raise the arm Ivana had dislocated.

Murdoch notes the arm, "You really should have that checked first."

"There's no time," She replied, smiling at the head mechanic. "Thanks for the concern though."

Murdoch with a grin, "You're one of those few pilots that never got to my nerves."

"Thank… I guess." Miyuki looks at the arm and grimaces, "Looks like I have to do it…"

She grabs the wrist and bites on her lip, _this is gonna be fun…_

Miyuki pulls her arm suddenly, forcing her elbow joint back into place.

It makes a disgusting, muffled crack. She irked in the pain, almost biting into her lip.

Murdoch cringed, almost feeling the pain himself.

"**Everything's good to go."**

Jethro looks over Luke's shoulder as his fingers rapidly tap on his laptop's keyboard which was linked to one of the terminals, "Open that gate Mr. Lawman."

"Give me sec… there!"

The gate that protected the Archangel hangar begins to lurch open, but just as it was halfway, open it stops suddenly.

"Spc. Lawman, it stopped," Natarle called.

Luke frowned, "What hell…?"

He checks the system to find the problem, he cringes, "Damn! The charges went off early! The virus is already spreading, I can't access it without infecting the Archangel!"

The black-haired XO frowns, "Then we'll have to blast our way through."

Jethro shook his head, "No good, the security turrets'll shoot anything that makes an electronic weapons discharge and missiles, the Archangel will hit from all sides."

Luke gritted his teeth, "I guess I made it too simple."

"Can't be helped," Frank's image appeared. "I'll take care of it, the security turrets only react with electric charges right."

"Affirmative Snow," Jethro responded. "If you detonate any charges they'll look for the source to the trigger."

"I don't want anyone turning into a fallen hero because of this," Murrue called. "Come back in one piece."

Frank nods, "Keep the light on for me."

His image disappears on screen, the bridge watch as the Legionnaire Firefly flies off.

**The Strike GINN walks into the catapult**

Setting itself up the mobilesuit to be fitted with the Aile pack, as this being done Miyuki quickly adjusts the control settings to compensate for her injured arm.

"Bridge," She calls. "Up any heads up on what I'll be facing?"

"Not much ma'am, thanks to the temporary truce."

Mir replied. "Kira and the Blitz are engaging two Zeros over the ship. Aside from that there's a few Moebius and Mistral mobile armors detected, not much."

She nods, "I copy, I'll be heading out now."

Mir nods back, "Strike Ginn you're clear for launch."

"Miyuki Kajiura," She calls as she prepares for the discharge. "Strike Ginn moving-!"

"Yuki!" Murrue's image suddenly appears.

Miyuki's eyes widen slightly but she keeps calm face. "Murrue?"

"Wait… I…" The captain hesitated.

She finally finds some resolve and looks at her old friend.

"I need to know… I need know who you are now."

"Would you really want to know?" Miyuki smiled sadly.

"Try me," Murrue said firmly.

She chuckled unemotionally, "You asked for it. Fine. I'm known in the plants before I married Darren as Miyuki Nobuko, the "Ultimate Shield". I graduated from the ZAFT academy top of my class, earning my self a red coat. At the wake of the war, after Ides of March incident, I was assigned to SCICOM there I helped make the final development of..."

"The N-Jammers…" Murrue finished.

She nods, "We amplified the device's range, making them effective for several miles. Did you know that it was designed originally as a counter-meltdown system?"

"I figure it was designed for something like that," Murrue replied. "That woman also said you also the…"

"I was," Miyuki answered simply. "I was the one who set the plans for operation Uroboros, it wasn't really a big deal. Your so-called counter-intelligence groups made easy, you'd be amazed how much intelligence we had."

"You must rather high up the ZAFT hierarchy to command that authority," Murrue observed.

"I was in Patrick's inner circle, along with Ray Yuki, Ezalia Joule, Louise Leitner, Jeremy Maxwell, Herman Gould, Rau Le Creuset, Lukav Minaev, Reed Leighman and Cynthia Knowles."

Miyuki smiles emotionlessly, "It's very unsettling isn't it? The thought of someone you consider friend is the cause of the deaths of thousands? That is if you still call me your friend."

Murrue forces a smile, "You are. It doesn't matter what you did."

Miyuki shows a genius smile, "I see… That's good to hear."

_But what if you knew…?_

"There are some things I'm not ready to tell you… I need time…"

Her friend nods, "I can wait. We can talk about it in a better time."

Murrue's image disappears.

"I just hope that I can tell you by then," Miyuki muttered.

"Miyuki Kajiura, Strike Ginn launch!"

**The Strike and Blitz took on the two Moebius Zeros **

With somewhat difficulty since this was their first time for both pilots to face one of these machines in combat, and in an area smaller than in Heliopolis.

They had teamed up well before the announcement in the radio, seeing that the Eurasian Zeros armed with beam weapons were the bigger threat.

Nadir, being the more aggressive one, was keeping the Blitz preoccupied. Whist Sarah and Kira squared off one on one.

Kira blasted towards the Sarah's Zero, dodging the attacks it fired, and swinging its massive blade at the machine. However, only ending in failure as the Zero dodged the attack.

Sarah smirked, "Got you."

In one quick action, she closes in and spreads her gunbarrels around the Strike.

"Damnit…" Kira muttered. He wasn't fighting like he usually does, he was also fighting a conflict within his mind.

The words of Garcia, "You are a traitor to the coordinators," kept repeating in his head through his head.

"LEAVE US ALONE!" Kira yelled.

As all of a sudden, the Moebius loses three of its gun barrels from a beam boomerang,

"What the–! Who did that?-!" Sarah scowled as the Strike ginn came out of nowhere armed with the Aile pack. The strike ginn caught the beam boomerang in one hand, it was same one Kira tried to use earlier.

"Kira!" Miyuki called out, as the two machines flew side by side, as the Strike Ginn brought out Chaya and Be-day.

"Kajiura-sensei!" Kira called out.

"We got to clear a path for the Archangel keep her guarded since she can't use its weapons in here!" Miyuki called out to him, as Sarah's Zero seemed to hesitate, as now it was facing multiple opponents, as it was usually the one that had the numbers on its side.

Sarah scowled, "I'll get you all for this!" Her Zero leaves the hangar.

"Yeah that's right." Nadir laughed at his teammate, "Get out of here ya wuss!"

As soon as he said this, he gets attacked simultaneously by several mobilesuits.

"Back off!" Miyuki uses her swords and cuts off a gunbarrel.

"You'll pay for that!" he fired its linear at the strike ginn and begun redirecting his gunbarrels at it.

The two Wyverns and the ginns of Rusty, Leona and Heine all rush into the fray.

"Oh no you don't!" Kira, Regina, Wynn, Rusty and Leona each went for a gunbarrel.

Nadir grits his teeth as he began struggling over the numbers of his enemy. He uses the gunbarrel to target each individual suit

Heine gets in front of it and throws his heavy sword, striking and destroying the linear gun.

Nadir yells at the impact, at the same time each of the other mobilesuits sever or destroy the remaining gunbarrels.

When Nadir recovered, he realizes he too had been out fought. "Sonova–! Argh!"

He finally pulls out.

Sarah smirked as she sees Nadir following her, "And you were saying?"

"Shut up!"

"**Okay mister gate!"**

Frank yelled as he back away from the partially open ship entrance gate, "Time for you to open sesame!"

He pushes the trigger on a hand detonator. Several points of the large gate exploded. At first, the blast didn't seem have any affect. Frank then shoots it several times, which prompted the gate's security gun turrets. They concentrated fire on the Firefly. Frank dodges the attacks which hit the gate instead. After several moments of dodging the turret fire, the gate finally gave way, breaking and splitting in several places.

"Archangel!" Frank radios in, "All clear, all ya' have ta do's push them pieces aside now."

"Copy that Sgt. Snow," Ramius replied gratefully. "Please return to the Archangel now."

"You don't have ta tell me twice, skipper."

**"****Archangel is Launching, prepare for launch!****" **

Murrue's voice echoed throughout the ship, as Regina and Wynn place the Gungnir in the middle of the hangar, Regina began arming it.

"Kira! Miyuki-sama!" Miriallia franticly called the two mobile suits.

"Come back the Archangel is taking off!" She called.

Kira began to take off, as Miyuki looked at the ginns of Leona and Rusty.

"Thank you guys..." She told the Blitz and the Ginns, as both the Strike and strike ginn retreated.

"No problem boss," Leona replied. "I'm just glad to see you."

"Just watch yourself with the Earth Forces brass," Rusty called. "Naturals in general may not be bad but those guys aren't worth trusting."

Miyuki nods with a smirk, "I'll remember that."

"I glad we don't have to fight this time," Rusty replied. "But next time, I'll be gunning for that ship."

Miyuki nods, "I won't make easy for you or your team though, so watch out."

Rusty smirked, "I will, I will."

"**Hey!" Frank's voice cracks in the radio, "You aren't plannin' to leave without me are ya?"**

The Archangel's bridge watch as the Equatorial made mobilesuit approached them.

Mu smirked, "Of course not. But you better hurry, we pretty much worn out our welcome here."

Frank laughs with his usual gruffness, "Right you are mate!"

With that, The Strike and the Strike Ginn land on the Archangel, followed by the Legionnaire Firefly. Before however, Miyuki collects the several severed gunbarrels that were floating, seeing that they may come in handy, especially for their own Zero.

"Gungnir is armed and ticking!" Regina announces through the radio, "Fire in the hole! 30 seconds!"

"Neumann, maximum engine output, get us out of here!" Murrue yelled.

With that, the Archangel launched into space leaving a burning hangar behind them, the Wyverns and the ZAFT mobilesuits in front of her, clearing the way.

"I've never thought I'd be doing this," Heine commented, "Protecting an Earth forces ship."

"You and me partner," Leona replied. "You and me."

Regina looks at her timer, "Ten seconds… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one…"

Instead of a conventional explosion, the Gungnir gives off a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Though it was modified, the EMP weapon was still powerful enough to disable the electronics of all mobile armors, conventional weaponry. Any metallic object close to the blast shatters as a powerful current passes through them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The Highwind Bombers silently flew as they made over to the base.**

"This is Black Knight leader, we are now just about to pass target area. All friendlies transmit your IFF codes to the designated frequency; we are now ready to commence bombing run."

Pierce looks up, his suit's IFF system points out where they are. "It's about time you guys got here, copy, I'm sending ours now."

After a few second the squadron leader's console fills up several series of numbers, next to them were their corresponding unit.

The leader then spoke again, "This is Black Knight leader, All authorized units accounted for. Kids, commence run."

The nine cloaked bombers opened their bomb bay doors as they lower to the recommended bombing altitude. They then fall out of formation, splitting up to target any hostile mobile weapons and surviving conventional weaponry.

As a bomber picks a target, one of the Long Daggers, it flies over it lines up then releases a one thousand pound RGW-79 "Armor Scythe" radar guided anti-armor smart bomb.

The weapon was developed by the Scandinavian and Orb armies to use against armored or mobile weapons forces. It is designed to pierce the armor of a target using high velocity, the "Armor Scythe's" outer surface is covered with shark like scales, these make the bomb streamlined, making it capable of reaching high speeds without the need of propellant which give it a heat signature. This weapon was one of the most cost effective ways of combating enemy mobilesuits aside from using mobilesuits.

The bomb cuts through the air like a bullet, in less than 10 seconds the bomb falls from a height of 5000 ft. to hit its target dead on. It struck right where the cockpit would be, 2 seconds after impact it explodes. The Long Dagger split into several pieces, flying in every direction.

This was repeated all over the base as both ZAFT and Eurasian units get hit.

**The remaining Scandinavian/ Equatorial Taskforce make their escape, cheering the bombers on as they did.**

"Yeah ha ha ha!" A Special Forces Equatorial pilot yelled gratefully, "Flyboys! I love you!"

"Let's move boys," Pierce barked. "We ain't out of the woods yet!"

He turned to Jacques, "Leone, pop those flares!"

"Aye sir," Jacques presses button on his controls. A flare launches from his BuCUE, signaling the way for the Osprey Carriers to land.

Five Ospreys approach them, the lead unit acted as a gunship, firing it heavy machineguns and CIWS around the LZ.

The four others land, their backs facing parallel to each other .

"Okay people!" Sally yelled, "Let's get the hell out of here!"

The mobile units rushed quickly but orderly into the carriers, within a minute they were all strapped in and secure.

"Dust off! Dust off!" The lead Osprey pilot orders, the four carriers lifted off and left the base in squadron formation and disappeared into the night.

Inside the Ospreys, the cheers were now were much louder as the pilots were finally heading home.

Pierce happily opens his cockpit as he makes one last transmission, "Kingfisher, this is Faust, Operation Black Avalanche complete."

"Copy that Faust," Nathaniel replied, "Good job. We'll meet at point Ostrich."

"Roger Kingfisher," The young merc replied, "Over and out."

**Lenneth winced when she hears the reports up at the base.**

_Attack failure, force remnants in full retreat. _

"Damnit…" She cursed, the operation had turned into a disaster.

She looks at Noin's Aries, "It seems like your group has taken the upper hand."

"Looks that way," Noin replied.

"I hope we meet again," Lenneth replied. "Unit, pull up the disabled suits. We're pulling out!"

Several Dinns pick the pilots had had been downed, Lenneth recalls her Guul and they left, leaving the battered and scarred Tallgeese and three Aries.

Noin sighs with relief, slumping on her seat. "I did it… Barely, but we actually did it."

Xuiying nods, "That was cutting it closer than I'd ever want to."

The battle in Odessa's snowy land was over.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The Battle in L3 however wasn't quite over.**

The Duel and Buster were back in the fighting.

"It's payback time!" Dearka yelled as he snaps together his gunlauncher and sniper rifle to form the 350mm. anti-armor shotgun. He fires a burst which wipes out several Moebius armors. Without the Zeros for support, Artemis' resistance had collapsed entirely. There is nothing regular Moebius armors can do against G-units.

"Think you're hot stuff?" Michael called as the Siginarugan held a beam kama in each hand and crosses her arms. "Check this out!"

The Siginarugan once again throws them like boomerangs, they take out several Moebius in one pass.

"Nice," Dearka commented.

The Duel and Chimera went at the surviving ships of the Eurasians, Yzak went for the Drake while Antonio took the Nelson.

The Chimera levels all its weapons at the Nelson, "Sorry."

He blasts it on its port side.

Yzak took a more brutal approach, he flies up to the bridge of the Drake.

"Take this, cowards!" He fires a grenade into the bridge, it explodes inside, taking out the entire tower.

The legged-ship catches the corner of his eye. He smirked, "You're so close yet so far… well, I give self-preservation always wins out in situations like these."

Yzak was many things, but he definitely always keeps his word. They would let the Archangel escape, for now.

"All units pull back, we're returning to the plants for repairs."

The Chimera flies next to him.

"Looks like our little partnership is over," Antonio commented.

Yzak nods, "Looks that way. But keep in mind. When we meet again, I'm not holding back."

Antonio back, "I'll counting be that, Yzak Joule"

The Chimera and Siginarugan boost off.

"Hey!" Yzak calls out, "How did you know my name anyway?"

"Wynn told me," Antonio answers with a smile.

Yzak frowns, "Wynn? You mean Aelia… ugh! She better not tell anything personal…"

Antonio laughs, "I don't pay attention to any of that."

**Ivana ordered and organized rescue and recovery teams, as soon as all hostile forces left the area.**

Garcia was injured during the attack, a Moebius armor had crashed into the control room he was in. One she had been in only seconds before it happened. He was unconscious, and still was, when he was found but only suffered some burns and minor cuts. He would survive, much to her disdain.

However, she wasn't going to be with him for much longer. The attack on the Base near Odessa had reached her, high command was demanding that she was to return to Earth as soon as clear up mission were completed. She found it highly vexing that Hyperion had been stolen and that 24 of the 30 long daggers had been destroyed by the ZAFT attack. But both the incidents in Artemis and the Odessa bases weren't complete losses. Both had given plenty of useful data in the strengths and limits of the Atlantic Federation mobilesuits as well as their own. As well how they were capable of against ZAFT's own machines. Overall, it was a good deal for her and the military.

Inside the Nelson-class "Ulysses", Ivana enters the bridge, all the officers in there quickly stood attention as she enter. Ivana nods at them and they resume their work. The ship had remained on stand by during the attack, it had been stationed in a hangar on the far side so it was spared from the assault. It was carrying Long Daggers but Ivana had decided not to deploy them during the attack.

Ivana takes a seat beside the ship's captain.

"What is the status of the rescue operations?" The blonde haired, brown eyed officer asked.

"The rescue team's progress is faster that expected," the captain replied. "87percent of Artemis' current personnel are accounted for."

She nods, "Captain, please prepare to disembark as soon as this is done."

"Yes ma'am."

"However…" She continued, "We're not going directly to Earth."

"Ma'am?"

The female officer looks at him in the corner of his eye, "I'll take responsibility."

"Then where we going to first?" the captain asked.

"The space debris belt," Ivana replied. "That is where the Archangel is likely to go. And we're going to go after it."

**Yzak and Dearka enter the locker room together**

"That was some fine kettle of fish," Dearka comments as he tosses his helmet into locker.

Rusty turns around to face them, already wearing his red uniform. "So Yzak, you ready to face a board of inquiry when we get back?"

Yzak stares at them with a raised eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Zelman will report this," The red haired elite replied. "He's not going to just overlook this man."

The platinum haired pilot stares at him, then smiles smugly. "Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that."

Nicol looks at him as though he's lost it. "Capt. Zelman probably has recorded footage of you working with the Earth forces."

"I don't care," Yzak calmly replied as he took off his normal suit. "First off Nicol, we were working the UN Forces who are a neutral party."

"And you guys didn't have to follow my orders," Yzak pointed out as he puts on his pants uniform. "Neither did captain Zelman, he's a ship captain, he had the power to overrule my authority. If he really didn't want what had happened to occur, all he had to do was take over command."

"And besides," Yzak continues, putting on his jacket. "The fact you guys still followed my orders make you guys just as guilty as I am."

Rusty nods with a grin, "That's because ZAFT does not have a proper military ranking structure, every ship and team is considered one whole individual…"

"Which means everyone in the Gamow and Lee is to be punished if the Defense Council finds the actions unbecoming." Yzak finishes, putting on his belt and adjusts his collar.

Dearka also finished changing back to his uniform, he leaned against his locker with a smirk. "You must've thought of this before you accepted that Le St. Claire guy's offer."

Yzak closes his locker door, "I did."

He begins to walk out of the locker room. "Now c'mon, let's get something to eat, I'm starved. We can make plans on how take down the legged-ship over lunch."

**Inside the Archangel's hangar,**

UN soldiers, Archangel Personnel and Heliopolis civilians all cheer as they just escape Artemis with their lives.

Frank laughed boisterously as he was lifted over his fellow soldier's shoulders.

Antonio opens his cockpit, to be greeted by a crowd of people cheering him.

"You're the man sir!" a UN soldier yelled.

"Scratch another for the Spartan of Waves!" another called.

He enthusiastically raises his hand with a smile acknowledging and thanking for their praises.

Mu and Murdoch walk toward him. Murdoch slaps him hard on the back. Antonio cringes, still feeling the after affects of the final phase.

"I don't what you did to make ZAFT did what they did," He said. "But hell I'm glad did it!"

Antonio manages to smile, "Thanks… I think."

"Speaking of which," Mu looks him with a half serious look. "How did you do it anyway?"

Antonio shrugged, "I just ask him."

As he was surrounded by people thanking and congratulating him. Miyuki makes her way to him.

She whispers at his ear, "Ton-ton, we need to talk."

He looks at her, "What is it this time?"

"It's about Flay…"

**Michael had the same reception when she exited the Siginarugan, though was a little smaller.**

He smiles and laughs in the group, happy as they were of being alive. That's when realizes something was missing, he looks around. Regina wasn't in the hangar. He turns to the direction of her Wyvern to find it was empty.

His eyes widen.

_Gina…_

He drops his helmet and runs out of the hangar.

**In the Infirmary**

Daniel wakes up to find himself lying on a bed with an oxygen mask over his mouth. He quickly realizes he had passed out several moments after he and Luke had entered the shuttle. He doesn't move his body, instead shifts his eyes around, seeing if anyone's there.

"You're awake…" A soft British accented voice said.

He looks to right to find Naomi. She was sitting there right beside him. Her concerned and worried eyes told him why.

"Naomi…" He began.

She smiles and places a finger over her lip, "Shh… don't talk, you need to regain your strength. Don't worry about fighting for now, we're out of Artemis."

"I'm sorry," Daniel whispered. "I was-"

"You did what you had to," Naomi interrupted. "Don't worry, I understand that. And you did it with flying colors."

She smiles at him, "Like you always do."

Daniel tiredly smiles back, "Thanks."

**Elsewhere in the Archangel**

Flay found herself being confronted by Sai Argyle, Miyuki Kajiura and Antonio Le Saint Claire.

She didn't like the looks in their eyes, particularly Miyuki's. Though they seem casual, they had an eerie coldness to them.

Her arms were crossed, one hand rubbed the elbow she had forcefully realigned. After the fight with Gurlukovich and her chat with Murrue, she wasn't in the mood of being sympathetic. Her meeting with her former teammates only calmed her just a bit.

Antonio gave her a stern look, he wasn't happy when he found out about from Miyuki what she did in the Cafeteria.

"Flay. We need to talk."

**Hangar**

All of the mobilesuits were now in their respective positions, as Kira came out seeing both Murdoch and Mu down on the ground.

"Hey Kid," Mu said as Kira floated right by him, not saying a word.

"What's with him?" Wynn asked coming down, as both Mu and Murdoch shrugged.

She looked at Kira as he left the hangar. "What in the world…? Kira…?"

Llewelyn was about to follow him when Lucian. "Let 'em go. He needs time to be with himself."

She looks at him, "Luke?"

"He needs space," Luke replied simply. "It's the best thing we do for him right now."

Kira walked alone in the hallway in his room, suddenly feeling drained inside.

"I'm… a traitor?" He asked no one in particular.

Birdie perches on his shoulder, as he continued on to his room.

**Jethro looks at the data file he had taken from Artemis' mainframe**

It would prove useful in the near future to UN and it members someday. He had already made a copy of the data and secretly transmitted them to his connection in North America. It was exactly the same way he did it with data of the Chimera, Siginarugan, even Orb's Astray models. No one knew of his alternate allegiance, not even Antonio. But it was for the best, what they didn't know won't hurt them. He only hope they would understand when they found out.

**Regina simply stared as the shattered rock that been Artemis as it disappears into the distance.**

Her heart wrenched, even though she had been forced out of her own home and betrayed by her own people, it was still her home and they were still her people. It still hurt her when she saw soldiers from her home, even if they consider her their enemy, dying for what they held dear. Not knowing how much they were just mere pawns to the higher ups, expendable personnel they can just throw away. Oh, it hurt her, very much.

Michael stood just behind her. "Regina… Are you hurt? Do you want me to take you-?"

She turns to him, tears streaming down her face. She her wraps arms around him. "Please...don't say anything..."

Michael, though unsure, held firmly yet gently, comforting her as best he could.

"Thank you..." She whispered, sobbing, letting her rest on her shoulders.

Michael strokes his hand over her light brown hair. "Gina..."

"...Yes..."

He holds her closer to himself, closing his eyes.

"It's alright, cry all you want..."

"...I'm right here..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Down on Earth**

Nathaniel's force had just arrived in Maltepe, Turkey just east of Istanbul. Technically, Turkey was a part of Eurasia however like Ukraine, has been neglected by the central government. The economic situation here in the Middle East wasn't as sever as it was in Eastern Europe, thanks to the tourist trade. They went here because there were several Scandinavian military bases, like the naval base near Maltepe. Also, the Middle Eastern governments here had a secret agreement with Scandinavia and the EU, to provide support to Scandinavian, EU and UN troops when it is requested. And finally, Nathaniel had friends and connections in the Turkish local government.

Sally Po, Simon West, Xuiying Hong and Nathaniel Wolfthorne all gathered in his office in the Javelin which was docked along with the original Skiold-class and the Tyr in an underground section of a Scandinavian Naval harbor. The Siegfried was docked along with the other conventional ships. Nathaniel rests his head on his hands, staring at the extra data that had gathered on his laptop.

"I see… And that's the reason you were delayed."

Sally nods, "Yes sir. Specialist Epps stumbled on it when we were extracting the target data."

Simon, who was leaning against desk, shook his head. "Deacon's hell… Its bad enough they've attempted this two years ago with soldiers. Now they're doing it with bloody kids?"

Xuiying looked away at the images presented, "Eurasia has been looking for an edge against its neighbors for years… they even gone this far."

Sally nods, "This is going to delay Meteor, right?"

Xuiying, Simon and Nathaniel among each other, they had no idea.

"It may be too late you know," Xuiying pointed out.

Sally sighs, "I know… It just…"

"I've got two little girls waiting for me back in Orb," Simon said suddenly.

He places a hand over her shoulder, "I know how you feel."

Nathaniel sighed, closes his eye and rubs his temples. "It's up to the higher ups what'll happen from here on in."

He then opens his eyes, "We'll have to live with whatever decision they'll make. Whether we like it or not."

**Out on the dock**

While Nathaniel decided to stick around a bit, Pierce and Vincent were leaving soon. Lucrencia Noin watches as they had their mobilesuits along with the Hyperion loaded on to a V/STOL transport carrier Pierce owned.

Unlike the military higher ups, Noin had no problems of Vincent taking the Hyperion who forfeited his share of the pay to keep it. He found it after all. And it also because the very sight of it angered her, reflecting exactly her thoughts of the Eurasian central government. They created highly advanced and expensive weapons systems like this and yet they were neglecting their own people's needs to achieve it? In her mind, this was as best of a punishment the Eurasian government will get. After all, in the world of politics, there was no such thing as justice, just 'compensation'.

She walks toward Pierce, "Leaving already?"

Pierce looks at her at the corner of his eye, "Yeah… A merc's life is always on the move, especially during war. We had a contract slated after this one, we'll heading to North Africa for a longer lasting stint."

Noin's nose wrinkles, "So… you're going to work for ZAFT now? Even after what you done?"

"Hey… don't give me that look," He told her. "I'm a merc, that's just how business is."

She sighs, clearly a little upset of the whole thing. "Yeah I know…"

"Y'know how I feel about it," She adds. "Forget it."

She looks at him "Why did you leave the EU military anyway?"

Pierce shrugged, "Being a soldier, you don't get a lot of action most of the time. Being a merc however, you're almost guaranteed to be in the thick of it. You know me Lucy, I'm an adrenaline junkie, I look for trouble."

Lucrencia nods reluctantly, "Yeah… I guess…"

She manages to give smile, "You know… this is the first time in a long time you kept call me that."

He smiles, "I figure you missed being called that."

"Pierce," Vincent calls him. "The suits are loaded and strapped in."

"Start her up for me," He replied. "I'll be there in minute!"

"We'll I guess this is goodbye," Pierce sighed.

Noin nods, "Seems that way…"

The two drew each other's face closer, letting their lips touch. Vincent was about to call Pierce again when he sees then. He rolls his eyes and gets back into the V/STOL. The two stayed that way for several minutes.

As they separated from each other, they were surprised to find Zechs.

Zech looks at Pierce with a straight face, he said calmly, "You couldn't resist a goodbye kiss. Eh, Pierce?"

Pierce looks at him, "Oh… hi Zechs. Look, it's not like we'll be meeting each other anytime soon."

Zechs cracks a smirk and shook his head, this wasn't the first time he caught them kissing and probably won't be the last. "Whatever."

He offers his hand, "It's been nice working with again, Master."

Pierce takes it, "Same here buddy."

They gripped each other's hand tight, "Let's do this again sometime."

Master Pierce Rayer heads into the transport.

"Hey," Noin calls out, "Who in ZAFT hired you anyway?"

Pierce looks over his shoulder, "One of Legate Michael Takahashi's old colleagues."

He uses the title of a Spartan Guard's corps commander, formally, its name is 'Legatus Legionis.' They were a Roman Legion's overall commander.

"Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger"

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**A/N: **Gah…! Fights all over the place… And my longest chapter to boot. Thank God, that's over. Juggling between work and this monstrosity, I'm almost fit for a straight jacket here! Yeah I know, using Long Daggers this early in the story's a stretch, but I had to think of something to even the playing field down there.

And is it just me, or did the Artemis battle almost resembles the battle of Gryps 2 near the end of Gundam Z? And I think I made Yzak a little TOO decisive-minded…

Please R & R.

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**Glossary**

**LZ**- Landing zone


	11. Mechhead part 3

**Javelin**

**Class: **Skiold**  
Unit type: **Light Assault/ Escort carrier

**Ships of the line: **Javelin, Skiold, Tyr  
**Manufacturer:** Integral Dynamics/ Morgenroete Inc. / Royal Arms Bureau  
**Operator(s):** The Shroud, UNAAF  
**First deployment:** 71CE  
**Dimensions: **overall length 250 meters; overall height 66.7 meters  
**Wingspan:** 47.4 meters  
**Weight:** unknown  
**Propulsion:** unknown   
**Equipment and design features:** RJU-7 Radar jammer attachment; RDU-04 Radar detection unit, laminated Chobem multi-layer armor; linear catapults; sensors, range unknown

**Standard armaments: **

10 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun

18 x 300mm "Hell Lancer" missile launcher

2 x 110mm. "Valiant" Mk. 8 linear canon

1 x 225 cm. dual high-energy beam canon

10 x "Helldart" missile launcher  
**Mobile weapons: **varies (basically anything and everything) units x 8

A/N: A little known side project between the neutral nations, it's a smaller version of the Izumo and Archangel class with no positron cannon. Nathaniel got the Javelin as payment for an earlier job with the Le Saint Claires.

**EUA-U/S15 Osprey**

**  
Unit type: **Utility/ Assault V/STOL Transport carrier  
**Manufacturer:** Integral Dynamics  
**Operator(s):** UNAAF Orbital Fleet  
**First deployment:** 68CE  
**Dimensions: **overall length 70.51 meters; overall height 20.75 meters  
**Wingspan:** 45.6 meters  
**Weight:** 351.5 metric tons (Unloaded)

**Max. Carry capacity:** 220 tons  
**Propulsion:** unknown  
**Equipment and design features:** RJU-07 Radar jammer attachment; enhanced sensors, range unknown, Chobem multi-layer armor

**Standard armaments: **

10 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS

8 x 300mm "Hell Lancer" missile launcher

5 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun

**Mobile weapons:** varies; unit x 4

**A/N: **This thing is basically a dropship, it sort of looks the ones they use in Starship Troopers movies and the CG series except its way bigger.

**Basilisk**

**Class: **ModifiedDrake

**Ships of the line:** Basilisk, Avenger, Butte and Suc-Bangblow

**Unit type: **escort ship  
**Manufacturer:** Integral Dynamics  
**Operator(s):** UNAAF Orbital Navy  
**First deployment:** 69CE  
**Dimensions: **overall length 130 meters; overall height unknown  
**Wingspan:** unknown  
**Weight:** unknown  
**Propulsion:** unknown   
**Equipment and design features:** Chobem multi-layer armor; Reinforced reactive armor; Anti-beam coating; sensors, range unknown

**Standard armaments: **

2 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun

6 x torpedo launchers

4 x 10-barrel missile launchers  
**Mobile weapons:** (in 70ce) TS-MA2 Moebius, MMU-01E Leos or ZGMF-1017 GINN; units x 4

**A/N:** The UN Drakes classes, like most UN ships are modified with heavy armor and anti-beam coated, which adds to the Drake-classes' survivability. Those armors are actually two of the most life saving tank and ship armor systems to date. Chobem is used by UK's Challenger 2 tank. While reactive armor is a very reliable old though short combat life span armor system used since the sixties, it's still being today in different variations.

**EUB-SR12 Highwind**

**  
Model number:** EUB-SR12  
**Code name:** Highwind  
**Unit type: **Limited Production Stealth Bomber  
**Manufacturer:** Integral Dynamics  
**Operator(s):** UNAAF Orbital Fleet  
**First deployment:** 69CE  
**Dimensions: **overall length 20.65 meters; overall height 8.15 meters  
**Wingspan:** 22.88 meters  
**Weight:** 21.5 metric tons (Unloaded)

**Max. Bomb load capacity:** 40000 pounds/ 18.6 tons  
**Propulsion:** unknown   
**Equipment and design features:** RJU-07 Radar jammer attachment; RDU-04 Radar detection unit; enhanced sensors, range unknown; Advanced RAM (Radar Absorbent Material); Mirage Colloid, (Optional/ Special Forces only); Anti-SAM counter measures

**Standard armaments: **

4 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS

**A/N: **Take a United States B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber give it the speed and movable wings of an F-14 Tomcat then put CIWS on it and a dark navy blue paint job. And you have the Highwind.

**TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero Eurasian Custom**

**Model number:** TS-MA2mod.00  
**Code name:** Moebius Zero**  
Unit type: **custom mobile armor  
**Manufacturer:** Eurasian Federation  
**Operator(s):** Eurasian Federation  
**Pilot(s):** Sarah Macgregor, Wade Mossberg, Ritchie Mossberg, Nadir Crandall

**First deployment:** Unknown  
**Dimensions: **Unknown  
**Wingspan:** Unknown  
**Weight:** Unknown  
**Propulsion:** Unknown   
**Equipment and design features:** sensors, range unknown

**Standard armaments: **

1 x linear gun, mounted below main body  
4 x beam gunbarrel (4 x beam machine guns), mounted on main body, can be detached and controlled through wires connected to main body  
2 x auxiliary beam gunbarrel (2 x beam machine guns), mounted on main body behind the main gunbarrels, can be detached and controlled through wires connected to main body

**IWS/X02 Sol Striker pack  
**  
**Model number:** IWS/X02  
**Code name:** Sol Striker Pack  
**Unit type:** Multi-arms Striker Pack for the GAT-X013 Chimera  
**Manufacturer:** Morgenroete, Inc. / United Arms, Inc  
**Operator(s):** UN Autonomous Armed Forces**  
Weight:** max gross weight 21.6 metric tons

**Construction:** Advanced MS composite alloy

**Additional Equipment and design features: **Aile Flight pack

**Armaments:**

2 x Shield with 57mm. double Gatling gun, docked on arm (replaces the Scarab Close combat shield)

2 x 105 mm. canon, mounted on shoulder

2 x 115 mm. Railgun, mounted on shoulder over canon

4 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod, docked on shoulders and on legs

**A/N: **This is basically the Strike Rouge's Integrated Weapons Striker Pack on steroids, I crossed a little of the Heavy Arms Kai in there.

**ZGMF-1017AS GINN Assault Type "Cervantes" Custom**

**Model number:** ZGMF-1017AS

**Code name:** GINN Assault Type  
**Unit type:** custom assault mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Maius Military Industries/Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty  
**Operator(s):** Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty

**Pilot(s):** Leona Gransiere**  
First deployment:** Leona Gransiere  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 21.43 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 85.22 metric tons

**Construction:** Unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Standard armaments:**

2 x Gatling gun, mounted on shoulder

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher, mounted on legs

2 x Dual rocket-propelled grenade launcher, mounted on forearms

1 x JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle,

4 x "Armor Schneider" combat knives

1 x "Grand Sting" 20.75 meter Anti-ship sword

**A/N: **Another ace, another customized suit.

**ZGMF-515 CGUE Lenneth Carrington Custom**

**Model number:** ZGMF-515

**Code name:** CGUE  
**Unit type:** custom commander type mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Maius Military Industries/Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty  
**Operator(s):** Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty

**Pilot(s):** Lenneth Carrington**  
First deployment:** Unknown   
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 21.43 meters

**Weight:** max gross weight 80.22 metric tons

**Construction:** Unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **EE20 Aerial maneuver pack

**Standard armaments:**

2 x M68 "Pardus" 3-barrel missile launcher, docked on leg

1 x 76mm sniper rifle, stored on back

1 x M7070 shield-plus-28mm vulcan system

1 x "Dainslef" heavy spear, stored on back

1 x "Shiroi-yuri" katana, sheathed on left side

1 x M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle, mounted on shoulder

**A/N:** Yet another custom-made suit. Well, these guys are supposed to be elite pilots anyway.

**MMU-01E Leos Vincent Allen Schellezar custom**

**  
Model number:** MMU-01E  
**Code name:** Leos

**Unit type:** mass produced land and space mobilesuit

**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau. / Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Vincent Allen Schellezar

**Pilot(s):** Vincent Allen Schellezar

**First deployment:** Unknown  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.20 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 42.80 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **EE20 Aerial maneuver pack

**Standard armaments:**

1 x MMG68 120mm. multibarrel heavy machinegun, stored on back

1 x "Durandal" Nodachi, stored on back

2 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS, mounted on shoulders

2 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod, docked on the legs

**A/N: **Heh… who would've thought it, a customized Leos. Well, there wasn't much of a choice back then. And Vincent's probably got sentimental value for this thing, so I'm planning for him to keep this even when he gets that better MS.

**CAT1-X0/3 Hyperion**

**Model number:** CAT1-X0/3  
**Code name:** Hyperion Unit 0  
**Unit type:** prototype attack use mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Earth Alliance (Eurasian Federation)  
**Operator:** Vincent Allen Schellezar  
**Pilot(s):** Vincent Allen Schellezar

**First deployment:** 71 C.E.  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso **  
Dimensions: **head height 16.9 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 54.7 metric tons  
**Construction:** unknown

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features:** sensors, range unknown; EE20 Aerial maneuver pack (added by Vincent)

**Standard armaments:**

2 x multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x "Armure Lumiere" mono-phase lightwave shield, can be used as arm-mounted shield or 360 degree barrier, also doubles as beam saber;

5 x RBW Type 7001 "Romteknica" beam knife, mounted on main body

1 x RFW-99 "Zastava Stigmate" beam sub-machine gun, powered by cable connected to mobile suit

2 x "Forfanterie" beam cannon, mounted on backpack, positioned over shoulders in use

1 x RFW-99 "Zastava Stigmate" beam sub-machine gun, mounts RBW Type 7001 "Romteknica" beam knife

**Optional armaments:**

1 x "Durandal" Nodachi

**A/N:** Since Vincent is Eurasian, I figured he should have a Hyperion unit. And the only other way to do that other than killing off the other pilots was making a fourth one.

**XMS-M1 Tallgeese  
**  
**Model number:** XMS-M1  
**Code name:** Tallgeese  
**Unit type:** prototype high maneuver close combat mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** PLANT/ Equatorial Union/ Kingdom of Scandinavia/ United Emirates of Orb

**Operator(s):** Spartan Guard

**Pilot(s):** Antonio Le Saint Claire, Michael Takahashi, Anya Une Samsonov, Nathaniel Wolfthorne, Xuiying Hong,

**First deployment:** Dec 11, 68ce  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 17.80 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 84.82 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **RJU-07 Radar Jammer attachment, CBT-01 Orbital flightpack, CBT-04 parachute unit, EE20 Aerial Maneuver pack, Anti-beam coating

**Standard armaments:**

2 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS, mounted on shoulder

1 x SN-107G high durability combat shield, docked on the left arm

1 x XBS-01 16 foot Anti-ship sword, stored on back

1 x 220mm. Mk II "Nightingale" railgun, docked on right arm

**Optional Armaments:**

2 x modified 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher (Anya Samsonov)

4 x Armor Schneider combat blades (Nathaniel Wolfthorne)

2 x 300 mm. M22 missile launcher "Hellquiver"

1 x 20 meter Buster sword (Michael Takahashi)

4 x MB2 explosive charge

1 x 14 meter custom made combat and anti-ship rapier "Sleipnir" (Anya Samsonov)

1 x M12 175mm. long range linear rifle (Antonio Le Saint Claire)

2 x 9 meter Dao "Kirin Fang" and "Blue Moon Dragon"

**A/N:** Each Spartan Eternal has one; most are handed or will be handed down to former subordinates.

**AMU-103 Aries**

**  
Model number:** AMU-103

**Code name:** Aries  
**Unit type:** mass-produced aerial combat mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau/ Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Lucrencia Noin

**First deployment:** May 17, 69CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.20 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 52.4 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **EE20 Storm aerial maneuver pack; hardpoints for additional weapons

**Standard armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x 185mm. 8-barrel multi-purpose launcher, mounted on wing hardpoint; can be jettisoned

4 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun, mounted on side of hips

1 x 90mm. MKE16 Assault Rifle, standard hand armament

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x M12 long-range linear rifle

2 x CWG-BZ-50 Bazooka

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**A/N:** The aerial workhorse for the UNAAF, Scandinavian and Equatorial forces and one of my personal favorite mass-produced MS. The standard color is the old OZ black and grey.

**AMU-103 Aries Lucrencia Noin custom**

**  
Model number:** AMU-103

**Code name:** Aries  
**Unit type:** custom aerial combat mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau/ Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Lucrencia Noin

**First deployment:** May 17, 69CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.20 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 52.4 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **EE20 Storm aerial maneuver pack; hardpoints for additional weapons

**Standard armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 185mm. 8-barrel multipurpose launcher, mounted on wing hardpoint; can be jettisoned

4 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun, mounted on side of hips

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x MMI-M100 190mm anti-aircraft shotgun

**Optional Armaments:**

4 x beamsaber, stored in a rack, replaces two of the launchers

4 x MB2 explosive charge

**A/N:** It's only fitting to have one of my favorite pilots using one. :) This one's colored in her Spartan color, dark blue.

**UCMU-106 Cancer**

**  
Model number:** UCMU-106

**Code name:** Cancer  
**Unit type:** mass-produced underwater transformable mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau/ Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot

**First deployment:** Oct 1, 69CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 68.04 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **IR sensors, sonar, Lorenzini sensors, ultra-low-light cameras

**Standard armaments:**

2 x 12-barrel 5 inch torpedo launcher, mounted on arms

2 x Mk17A2 300mm. missilepod, mounted on back

4 x Cutter

2 x grappling claw

8 x M2G limpet mines

**A/N:** These boys are colored dark brown here, I never really liked the red color. I added their armament to make them a little more formidable.

**UCMU-108 Pisces**

**  
Model number:** UCMU-108

**Code name:** Pisces  
**Unit type:** mass-produced amphibious transformable mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau/ Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot

**First deployment:** Oct 1, 69CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 16.47 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 78.87 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **IR sensors, sonar, Lorenzini sensors, ultra-low-light cameras

**Standard armaments:**

2 x 6-barrel 12 inch torpedo launcher, mounted on arms

4 x155mm. Mk24C Missilepod, mounted on shoulders and on side of hips

2 x GAU-38 57mm. multibarrel CIWS, mounted on shoulders

2 x Mk17A2 300mm. missilepod, mounted on back

2 x grappling claw, usable only in mobilesuit mode

8 x M2G limpet mines, stored on back of hip

4 x AW-22 115mm. Automatic assault weapon, mounted in chest, only usable in mobilesuit mode

**A/N:** The Pisces is colored dark sea green here, like the Cancer, I hate the actual color.

**EUMS-Mk107 Stingray**

**  
Model number:** EUMS-Mk107

**Code name:** Stingray  
**Unit type:** mass-produced underwater amphibious assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Hardwellton Military Industries/ Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot

**First deployment:** August 10, 70CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 14.70 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 72 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **IR sensors, sonar, Lorenzini sensors, ultra-low-light cameras, scale system, thruster pack

**Standard armaments:**

4 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 4 x 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machinegun, mounted on side of hips

2 x155mm. Mk24C Missilepod, mounted on shoulders

2 x 300mm. M17A2 Missilepod, stored on back

2 x grappling claws

1 x SE-01 "Banshee" Sound Emitting canon, mounted in head

**Optional Armaments:**

2 x 185mm. 8-barrel short-range torpedo launcher (replaces Mk24C missilepods)

1 x 175mm. M19 Beamrifle

1 x 450mm. M40 high power gunlauncher

1 x MKE16 Assault rifle

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**A/N:** It reminds you of a certain type of Metal Gear doesn't it? Heh heh… Though it has similar functions as the Pisces, the Stingray is much more suitable for close combat than its Scandinavian counterpart.

**TMF/A-802 JC/A1 M2 BuCUE "Jackal"  
**  
**Model number:** TMF/A-802 JC/A1 M2  
**Code name:** BuCUE Jackal  
**Unit type: **mass produced all-terrain ground assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** Hardwellton Military Industries/ Equatorial Union

**Operator(s):** Equatorial Union, UN Autonomous Armed forces, Kingdom of Scandinavia

**Pilot(s):** Any qualified pilot, Master Pierce Rayer, Zechs Merquise**  
First deployment:** Jan 28, 70 C.E.  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** headheight 11.07 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 94.3 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** ultracompact energy battery

**Standard armaments:**

1 x Double-edged beam saber, mounted front of head

2 x Armor Jaeger combat blade, mounted below head

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted on the shoulders

4 x beamsaber, mounted on the sides

1 x 2-barrel 450mm railgun, stored on back

OR

2 x 300mm. M17A2 Missilepod, stored on back

**Optional Armaments:**

1 x Radome

**A/N:** JC/A1 M2 stands for, Jungle Combat/ Alteration 1, Model 2. All the beam weapons were cutters and spikes in the M1 version.

The BuCUE Jackals are originally created for close range jungle and urban combat. They are more heavily armored than their ZAFT cousins and carry more close range weapons.


	12. Phase9: The Scars that remain

**Error:** I made a mistake regarding the sniper rifle Daniel uses in the last chapter, the 7.62mm. NATO round version of the Accuracy International rifle is simply called Arctic Warfare, the Super Magnum is made for .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum and 7 mm Remington Magnum rounds, which are all larger, more powerful calibers.

**A/N: **The focus of this phase is plain character development and the personal conflicts among the characters and to tie up some loose ends, especially the relation between Antonio and Flay which I believe haven't explained yet. Also in this chapter, we're going to see a little more history of the Swords and its former members. This is gonna be another long chapter.

And also, I'll once again refer to the Manga and also an unofficial non-canon Japanese novelization, War of Shadows (provided by my good friend who's a rather obsessed Gundam Otaku, he was crazy enough to actually create the individual Wizard pack variations of the ZAKU Warrior and Phantom 1/100 scale – I'm not quite sure – MSV models plus the Lunamaria and Rey Za Burrel customs! OMFG!) of the story for this, which I find a little more detailed and soon rather interesting stuff that should've been in the main story, plus a few snippets from the Astray Red series.

This phase is rated mature for a couple of scenes.

**Phase 09: The Scars that remain**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Days have passed since the Archangel escaped from Artemis. **

The ship had a number of problems before the entered there, and none of them resolved when they left.

"Thanks to that UN captain we've got plenty of rations to spare," Mu mused, sitting in the copilot's seat since Tolle was off-duty. "The thing is, we've only got enough water for a few more days."

"Not to mention that last battle spend a lot of our ammo." Jethro added, sitting in the CIC station since was also off duty, wearing a dark green combat fatigue, "We only have about one battle's worth left."

Murrue nodded. "I know. But I've been worried about the water ever since we left Heliopolis- or what's left of it. I hoped Artemis could remedy that situation, but..."

"You can have a portion of the Basilisk's water supply," Steven Halberton offered via a direct transmission from the other ship.

"Is that okay Steve?" Murrue asked.

The Drake-class captain shrugged, "It's for the civies right? Don't worry, the boys and girls of this ship can deal with tighter rationing."

Jethro looks over his shoulder, "Even with that, the water will probably last a week and a half, even with tight rationing."

"Maybe if we plotted a course closer to Earth?" Natarle suggested. "If we can fly a tighter course across the orbital path, we might be able to reach Earth Alliance territory with the supplies we have."

Neumann shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Ma'am. Remember, there's the Debris Belt to consider; and if we chart our course any closer, we will have to pass through it."

Murrue frowned. "Why don't we do that?"

Antonio, standing beside the captain, thought for a moment. "In a smaller ship, I'd take the chance. It's almost impossible to detect anything in there. However, keep in mind we too won't able to detect anything in there 'til it's too late. Plus, there's a lot of debris floating around. This is a big ship skipper, we may end up a part of it if we aren't careful."

"We'll also have to look out for pirates," Michael, who leaned on the wall in rear of the bridge, spoke out. "The space debris belt has a lot of those."

"True," Mu agreed. "Unless..."

A spark of inspiration hits him, "Hey, wait a second!"

He turns in his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Why not we take our needs from there?"

The Spartan of Waves thoughtfully, "Mu, you may have yet again just made the impossible possible…"

Jethro nods at the idea too, "There's a lot of junk out there..."

"And water tends to accumulate on the some the wreckage," Antonio pointed out, remembering his experience the last time he was in there. "Not exactly the cleanest quality, but we're talking about survival here."

"We should get the others in on this and maybe some people from the Basilisk" Murrue said after a moment. "We'll need their help to pull it off, more than likely."

Steve raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, "So we're gonna be Junk Guilders for day eh? Okay I'll provide support."

"I'm not much of a scavenger," Michael said. "But if you need someone to cover the flank, I'm your man.

Murrue nods, "Now we have to try and convince Kira and the others…"

Antonio rolled his eyes, remembering the last time they tried convincing the young coordinator.

"Oh joy," He muttered.

Murrue smirked. "Don't worry," She assured him. "It shouldn't be as hard as last time, I think."

"Speaking of the kid," Mu stands up and heads to the bridge's exit, "I'll go look for him, he was acting a bit strange after the last battle, I better check and see what's wrong with him."

Michael looks at him as he floats out of there, "I know how touchy he can be sometimes, don't be too aggressive on him, that'll just make him clam up even more. Be nice now."

"Yes mother," Mu gives him smirk. The Spartan Eternal frowns, not amused by the line, Antonio smirks.

"I think he likes you," He commented.

"Shut it," Michael mutters.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Far away from the Archangel, Aprilius One, PLANTS**

Visch Donahue covers his mouth as he yawns, impatiently looking at his watch every several minutes, pacing around in a small room in the officer's barracks.

_Why do they always make us wait?_

He had ordered to attend an emergency inquiry into the destruction of the United Emirates of Orb colony Heliopolis, being one of the commanders involved during the operation. He was the only attending for the Ursa Major largely because the ship, aside from a few skirmishes, had served a supporting role during the battle. He already prepared the report he would give to the council, though it was a little short, it was very detailed and much unbiased, pointing out the glaring misconducts of several pilots. This wouldn't be his first inquiry, had been in several since the war had began. The one he would always remember was after the Ides of March. Two of the three Swords involved were in the inquiry and subsequent court martial.

Miyuki Kajiura and Lenneth Carrington, the one missing was Morrigan Legna, who was supposedly kept in confinement.

He and the rest of the team were there largely to testify their actions of their teammates in question in the days prior to the incident. Though Alliance forces gave off a good fight, the assault had been largely a turkey shoot for the small ZAFT fleet involved to the extent that it was overkill. But what the accused were standing for was not for brutality, but reportedly ignoring the fact they were a marked refugee fleet.

Eileen, despite her recent problems with Miyuki and Lenneth and as much as she was repulsed by what they had done, defended her former teammate's actions. Since the war had started, a rift had form between Eileen and the two commanders. Eileen was a moderate, while Lenneth and Miyuki had become radical supporters. Their views on how should the war be fought differed greatly, the former wanted it be done defensively, while the latter wanted nothing short of total conquest of the enemy. The animosity that formed was so great that they began avoiding each other completely.

Thanks to her defense and the favor of virtually the entire National Defense Committee, the three officers got off with a mere slap of the wrist, being suspended from duty for several weeks. But Siegel Clyne made sure that they were to be punished, even if it meant going through their friends to achieve it. He ordered the disbanding of the Swords of Zodiac.

Despite this, Miyuki and Lenneth were both awarded the Crest of Sagittarius. While Legna was awarded the silver star of Sirius.

**A chirping from the room's door shakes Visch out of his brooding.**

"It's open," he called, looking over his shoulder.

The door slides open, entering the room were two young women both in their teens, both were in ZAFT reds. One had turquoise eyes and long blonde hair, tied in a series of decorative braids, while the other had brown eyes and equally long brunette hair which left straight. Both women were former Swords, the blonde was Christine Marie Lightfellow, while the other was Shiho Hahnenfuss, Eileen Canaver's replacement since she had left the Swords.

Visch raises an eyebrow, "Hey guys, what's with the sudden social visit?"

Christine, or Chris as she's usually called, smirked, "We just decided to drop by and ruin your life."

He smirks back, "Too late."

"To answer you question, we got a little worried with you," Shiho replied. "Esspecially when we saw the damage on all of those ginns and cgues they hauled into Maius."

"Oh," Visch nods, and then shrugs. "Yeah, the last battle was a little rough. Those new mobilesuits are good. Good enough to make our units to Swiss cheese. Did you know the last earth prototype even held off Le Creuset Team?"

"Yeah…" Shiho replied. "It's pretty impressive actually, considering that it off the four G-unit captured."

"And," Chris added with a nod. "As much as I don't like Le Creuset, his team made up of really good pilots."

"They're not that good," Visch snorts.

Chris places her hand over her mouth as she giggles, "I forgot you hate Le Creuset more than I do. You're still sore about that promotion thing right?"

"Ah shadap," Visch turns around, returning to his work, "C'mon in, I could use some company."

"So," Visch began as he sat on the "You guys were in Maius City anyway?"

"Work," Shiho replied. "Chris and I are part of the DEEP Arms project."

Visch stares at her blankly, "DEEP Arms? I don't remember any project in that name."

As a part-time field member of the intelligence branch, he was rather very aware of most military projects within the Plants."

"That's because it started well before you got here," Chris answers. "The National Defense committee and ZAFT high command, needless to say, were pretty upset when they found out about the new mobilesuits. They ordered special engineering units from all of the Plants to reverse engineer the data we have on the Earth mobilesuits."

"The collected data was very good," Shiho continued. "Our unit was able to copy the beam technology. In fact we're already working on an experimental energy cannon."

Visch blinked, "Already? Dang. You people work fast."

Shiho smirked, "Thanks. They're far from perfect though, it gives out a very high heat signature even at the first shot and it consumes more energy than earth forces model. We had to modify the cgues we're using to accommodate for a new battery to power them and still we can only use it for two or three shots at a time."

Visch raises an eyebrow, "You're using cgues? Mind that I take one for a spin?"

Chris shook her, looking at him seriously. "Too dangerous, the weapons systems are too experimental, accidents already occurred."

She sighs, "Someone already died because of one of the experimental units."

Visch frowned, "Who?"

Chris looks at Shiho, who nods reluctantly.

She sighs, "Visch, Domio died two weeks ago."

Visch drops the stylus he was holding. Domio Woodrow was one of his close friends since his academy days in Scandinavia, before they both moved to the PLANTs. He said nothing at first, both Shiho and Chris stood in front of him warily, not knowing the one eyed soldier may do to them if he suddenly snaps. Visch then sags against the desk, he was suddenly out of breath, like someone struck him in the stomach.

"How…?" He asks in a meek voice. "How did he…?"

Shiho looks down at the floor, "We don't know exactly, Domio was working out of the Plants. From what we could tell, the ginn he was working on burst into flames, he probably either burned to death or suffocated. The fire was so bad that the cockpit door melted in place."

A large lump formed in his throat, for moment he could say anything else. Visch closes his eyes, them buries his face with his hands.

"Oh God…" Visch whispered, his breathing became rapid and constant. He began to cry.

**Meanwhile in a shuttle that had just left September city**

Twenty-six year old Eileen Canaver sighed as she began preparing for inquiry she was about to attend. She looks outside at her home city, one of the hour-glass like colonies reflects off her blue eyes.

_Another colony destroyed, several days before the anniversary of Junius Seven_._ What will happen next?_

"War is hell," she muttered, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

She opens her laptop, and begins scanning through the procedure. The inquiry itself wasn't too complicated, it just required several officers involve in the incident to testify and describe what had happened in their own words. Rau Le Creuset, Visch Donahue, Miguel Aiman and Athrun Zala were all attending the inquiry. After the committee's questions have been satisfied, it would be up the Supreme council on what the course of action should be.

The young council woman sighs, sinking into her seat. Eileen already felt tired, she was feeling that a lot lately. The constant debates and verbal jousting with the Radical faction was taking its toll on her. It was times like these when she wish she never made the jump to politics. Things were so much simpler back then, there weren't as many hidden agendas, half truths and whole lies, and at least you have a definite idea who's on your side. She was with people she can truly trust, not that she didn't trust Siegel Clyne and the other moderates or anything, but back then, trusting people was much easier.

Before the war started, she thought if she joined the Supreme Council, she could make a better difference, keeping the Plants, her home, getting itself involved in another war. Her bitter experiences in the Eurasian-Pacific had left her emotionally scarred, she had lost her little brother in it, and she was absolutely close to him. He was the only family she had left. Losing him was like the end of the world for her. She didn't want anyone else to suffer that pain.

That's the reason why she constantly pushed for negotiations and then, when the war started, peace talks with the Earth Alliance, of course this drew constant criticism from the Radical faction and various members of ZAFT.

She had been ridiculed, insulted, threatened, even called a traitor.

_Why talk to the Naturals if don't listen_, they would say, _it was useless._

And she would counter, _What good is freedom if there is no one left to cherish it?_

But now this new development would add more ammunition to the war mongers in their arguments of continuing the war, which may mean that the war would soon expand even further. Resulting in more lives would be lost and more heart ache caused.

She felt so helpless.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Crew's quarters, Archangel **

Antonio stretches his jaw as he heads to his assigned quarters. He had just left the makeshift UN communication center which was set up in the Archangel's auxiliary control. He had just a wire to the UN Sec. General Hank Redwood and UNAAF 2nd Orbital Fleet Admiral John Lawson, giving his report of what had happened. Though neither was happy with what had happened to Heliopolis, but so far the focus was with Orb and its suspected involvement with OMNI-Enforcer. The UN top brass were more than pleased with his performance given the circumstances. The fact that Antonio managed to minimize the casualties during the attack was also given to account.

"Another good day," He said to himself.

When he opens his door, he was surprised to find Flay Allster sitting on his bed. She quickly stands up when she sees him.

"Antonio," She began, "Hi… I thought I'd come and see you."

The thirty-two year old veteran pilot gives her a tired smile, "I appreciate it."

He walked toward the bed and sits beside where she sat.

"So, what brings you here?" He smirks mischievously, "You want me to tell you bedtime story?"

The young girl glares at him as he chuckles, "Very funny."

The man laughs for a little longer, then sighs, shaking his head as he did. "So… What you want to talk about this time?"

Antonio and Michael met George Allster during his days in the Atlantic Federation Rangers, they became good friends. George pretty much showed them the ropes of special forces work, and helped them get through the rigors of the sometimes stressful routine their special breed would face.

Antonio was Flay's godparent and legal guardian when she was away from her father, an arrangement that had been set up since Flay's mother's death. Flay never knew her mother well, she died when she very young, too young for her to even remember. She constantly inquired Antonio for insight to her mother, since her father always avoided the subject as much as he could. Antonio apparently knew her mother largely because she and her father back then, lived mostly in Orb.

Flay sat beside the UN officer, looking at the ceiling.

"Antonio… can you tell me again what my mother looked like?"

He looks at her at the corner of his eye, then looks back at the door.

For some strange reason, Flay's father didn't have pictures of her mother, it was a little strange but she figured her father got rid of them because they probably depressed him.

"She kinda looked like you. She wore her hair real long, at one point it reached her thighs. When the wind blew it, it was like she had a pair of wings. Her eyes were sapphire blue, when she smile, those eyes of hers were like two real bright stars. Her complexion was very light and soft looking."

Antonio sighed, "She was one drop dead gorgeous woman."

Flay smiled, seeing her mother slightly in her mind. "How did she felt about me?"

"You couldn't separate her from you," Antonio replied. "Just after you were born, when she held you for the first time, she almost cried and begged the doctor not to take you away to the infirmary."

_Florence looked at Antonio, Michael, George several close family and friends in the verge of tears. "Don't let them take her away… please…"_

_Michael looked at Antonio and George with an amused smirk, "Anybody got the jaws of life?"_

_George stares at him with a raised eyebrow, "Jaws of life nothing, we need a damn crane."_

_Joining in with the jokes, Antonio turns to the nurse, "Any sedatives we can use on her?"_

"_Antonio!"_

Flay giggled, not able to full imagine the moment. "Oh… wow… did she?"

"She did," He chuckled shaking his head. "She did."

The two laughed for several moments, before then stood up.

"I'm sorry," She began still laughing. "I have to go now, I need some sleep myself, I'll take a shower later when I wake up."

Antonio was about to tell her that the showers were off-limits due to the water shortage, but decided not to, knowing how much she may freak out when she can't take a shower.

_Let someone else take the flak_, he thought. _You took enough hits from her. Not to mention for her._

"Right, later."

**In another part of the crew's quarters**

Michael, carrying a lunch tray, opens the room Regina was using.

He finds her idly lying down on her bed. She quickly sits up as the door opened.

"Hey Gina…" The green-eyed major pushes up the rim of his eyeglasses. Her hair, which was normally tied down in a braid, was loose, reaching her shoulders. Her lavender colored eyes were weary and glassy

"You didn't show up during lunch, so I figured I should bring some grub over here."

Regina smiles, Michael notes it was a little forced. "Thanks Mike…"

The UN major sets the tray on a table and he walks toward her.

"Gina…" He sits beside her. "Is it still bothering you?"

"I guess it's pretty obvious right?" Regina stares down at the floor. "What can I say? It hurts… real bad… real bad…"

"I understand," Michael holds her close with one hand. "I don't know if it'll help. But just remember, I'm here for you."

She rests her head against him.

"I know…" She whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. Regina presses her lips against his. Surprised at first, Michael quickly recovers, closes his eyes and placing a hand behind her, stroking her hair.

_Ivana… When we get through this, what will be doing?_

_I'll be doing what I'll always do, live life and watch over my friends and homeland._

_Homeland? After finding out what they're planning for us._

_That's the intentions of those in the state. Eurasia, our home, is more than that. _

_A country is not established by a state, but its people. Remember that._

**Apparently Antonio was very popular today, no sooner as Flay left his room, Ens. Natarle Badgiruel enters.**

He looks at her as lies down his bunk, "You here for work or personal?"

"Work," Natarle replied. "I'm here to tell you that Capt. Ramius wants you, Michael and Mrs. Kajiura to gather in the bridge when we brief the Heliopolis volunteers in the actions. It will probably be in 0800 hours"

Antonio nods, "Right, tell her I'll be there."

"And on a side note," She continues.

"You were quite detailed with Ms. Allster's mother," She said a little pointedly.

Antonio smirks, "I never thought you'd be one of eavesdrop."

"I just happened to listened in," She replied bluntly.

He shrugs, "I knew her, what can I say?"

"You sounded like you've been doing your antics on her," The young ensign's eyes narrowed

"Sure I did a few moves with her but nothing really major." He replied with no real concern. "She was already to George Allster married when I met her."

Natarle crosses her arms and looks away, "Hmph. That never stopped you before."

Antonio grins at her mischievously, "What's the matter Natarle? Jealous?"

She turns around and shoots a glare, "In your dreams." She replies icily.

Instead of shut him up, he grins even wider, "Oh don't worry I do."

That reply almost made her scream but she manages to resist the urge to do so. Instead, she unwisely tries to throw a punch at him.

Antonio blocks her attempt effortlessly and pulls her down his bed.

She yelps as she lands and as Antonio presses himself on top of her, pinning her under him. Their eyes met in the close gap.

The ensign's cheeks and ears burned red as she felt the man's body press against hers. The veteran pilot was a little surprised himself by what he did. The both of them froze, simply looking at each other.

Antonio's mind was in a fight or flight situation, should he just back off or should he…? For a moment, he was in thought. He gave Natarle a good hard look.

_This is a woman you've only known for the past year since she broke up with your little brother… She's stickler to rules and regulations… A deadbeat at times… and may deck your sorry ass if she's pissed off after this._

_But still…_

His azure eyes met with her light-purple ones, his lips then curve slightly.

_She's worth the risk._

Natarle's eyes widen as she felt his hand slowly making their way up her thigh. "W-what are you-?"

She gasps as he places butterfly kisses on her neck, slightly biting the flesh whilst he undid her shirt. Natarle moaned slightly as she felt Antonio's right hand over her chest, going under her bra and t-shirt.

"An…to…nio…?" She called, not sure whether she should resist or not.

_This isn't happening…_, was her thought. _Not here… _

"Stop…" Natarle whispered. "Antonio… please sto – umph…"

Her eyelids widened as far as they could as Antonio presses his lips against hers.

_No… This is wrong… This… This…_

She finally gives in, placing her hand over Antonio's head and closing her eyes.

Maybe because it was they were in such a dire situation, or maybe because she felt like blowing off steam. Or maybe it's because she wanted their relationship to be more than just being together. This is one of those times she could actually hold him, be close to him. Being born to a strict traditional military family, Natarle was bound by rules and regulations, she couldn't just do the things she wanted. Though she was born in that situation, there were times even she would sometimes feel suffocated. But when she goes out of her family's mantle, she felt vulnerable and out of place. She didn't feel that way when Antonio's with her.

In a way, Antonio was her guardian, one who gave her happiness ….and freedom.

The kiss was both firm and gentle, their hands held each other tightly.

After a while, Antonio pulls away, slowly pushing himself up. Natarle laid still gasping and panting, a lock of her hair covering her left eye.

She looks at her the UN officer as walks to the door and presses few keys on the doors pad to lock it. He turns around, with his hand still on the panel. As he walks toward her, he switches off the light.

Even in the dimness, Natarle could see Antonio taking off his shirt. She sat up and did the same with her shirt uniform and t-shirt under it.

The two got close together on the bed, their arms wrapped around each other's half naked bodies. Both looked into the other's eyes in the darkness. With an impassioned kiss, they tightened their embrace.

**Meanwhile, in the hangar**

"Elle," Miyuki called as she chasing her daughter as she runs among the mechanics as they rush around the hangar. She finally manages to catch her, grabbing her below the armpits.

"This isn't a playground honey," She said it to her gently but firmly. "Just wait for your big sister Miriallia, she'll take you with her while I work here."

The little girl nods, apparently listening. "Yes mama."

The mechanics didn't really mind the little girl, but after several close calls, everyone agreed she shouldn't be here.

But just as she thought she had everything under control, another toddler, her name was coincidently also Elle. She was a couple of years order and she wore her brown hair with ponytails. The girl waves at and calls Yuki's daughter. The little girl runs towards her.

"Elle!" Yuki yelled helplessly as her daughter ran off. The young mother groans rubbing her face. Murrue smiled as she watched what had happened.

"Looks like she's giving some problems," She commented as she walks toward the former ZAFT commander.

Yuki looks at her ruefully, "She's part of the toughest assignment I've ever got."

She then grins, "Being a mother."

Murrue chuckles, shaking her head, "I wonder how I'd fare, when it's my turn."

Miyuki smiles, "You'll probably do fine."

"So," the younger woman began as they walk toward the mobilesuit maintenance blocks. "What brings you here, sempai?"

Her senior shrugged, "I just want to talk. Y'know, we still have a lot of catching up to do."

Miyuki nods, "We do, what you want to know?"

Murrue hesitate for a moment, "What was it like being in the Plants the first time for you?"

She notes a fond smile appeared in her friend's face.

"I was a wonderful feeling," Miyuki replied. "For once I felt like I was just a person, I didn't stood out, I was just another face in the crowd."

She sighs, exhilarated by just the thought of what she described. "It felt so good."

Murrue nods, "I see."

She could still remember the times back in high school when Murrue would notice other people whispering behind her back or sometimes would be constantly singled out by teachers. Miyuki hated that treatment, it once got so bad that it pushed her to attempt suicide. She could only imagine her friend's joy when she for the first time to be equal with the people around her.

"Tell what it's like over there."

Miyuki looks at her, "Huh?"

"What is it like," she repeated. "What are the people like up there? What are the sights and sounds… What is like in the Plants?"

She looks at the Archangel's acting captain, "You sure you want me to answer that question? 'Cause I'm going to give a long answer."

Murrue shrugs, "I don't mind."

Miyuki looks at the data on Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero, "Well, I guess while I'll talk about that, you can help me with my little project. You still good with machines Murrue-sempai?"

She nod with a little uncertainty, "Of course, I'm an engineer after all…"

"Yuki what are you up to?" Murrue asked, more than aware of her friend's almost eccentric habit to experiment.

The friend smiles, "You'll find out. Now where should I start about the Plants?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Meanwhile, back in Aprilius One, PLANTs**

"Sorry…" Chris manages to say in a low voice, "We didn't know how to tell you…"

Visch shook his head, managing a smile. "Forget it, I was gonna find out somehow."

He then got serious, "How did Hannah cope with the news?"

Chris frowned, Hannah was Domio's fiancé, she had expected the question but she could find a way to answer it.

"She handled it quite badly," Shiho replied, not waiting for Chris to answer.

Visch frowns, "What do you mean?"

The brunette haired redcoat sighs, "She destroyed the experimental ginn several days ago. Somehow she managed to acquire some explosives, wrecked an entire hangar with them."

Visch almost jumped out of his seat.

"Where is she now?" He demanded, "Did she–?"

Shiho shook her heard, "She's fine. She's being held by the judicial committee in Maius Three. And don't worry, Representative Amalfi announce earlier that he was willing to pardon her."

Visch frowned, "What…? Hannah attacked a ZAFT installation, during times of war that's the equivalent committing sabotage to the war effort, how can even lenient ol' Amalfi manage that without getting the usual flak from the radicals?"

"That's because her reason for trying to destroy Domio's ginn wasn't just out of grief." Chris explained. "She attacked specifically because she didn't want the ginn to be repaired or the hard drive be recovered, she didn't want ZAFT to use the data from the ginn to create more weapons."

"The public will definitely be sympathetic to her," Shiho continued. "Convicting her may seriously undermine ZAFT's right to continue waging war against the Alliance. Even the radicals can realize that."

"Besides," Chris said. "No one got killed in the bombing and she didn't destroy the data in question."

Visch blinked, "She didn't?"

Chris shook her head, "Nope, aside from several totaled ginns and a wrecked hangar, ZAFT's got nothing to complain about."

The one-eyed pilot was mystified, "She destroyed an entire hanger yet she didn't destroy that?"

"It was thanks to a really brave Junk Guilder," Shiho replied. "I don't know the guy's name, but he was the one who handed Domio's ginn back to ZAFT. On gunpoint, he managed to talk her out of it. I'm sure with the other details though."

"I guess I have to speak to her myself to get the whole story," Visch asked.

Shiho nods, "Yes, it seems that way."

Visch just stood there, pondering on what's was his next course of action. Then finally, he looks at them, "Can you take me to her?"

Both women seem unsurprised by this request, both nod.

"Good," Visch said. "Let's go now."

This however, they did not expect, both looked at him with astonished faces.

"Visch," Chris began. "Aren't you supposed to attend the Heliopolis inquiry?"

"Eh," Visch waves off his hand. "That can wait."

**Somewhere in Januarius City**

A man wearing a white ZAFT uniform stood in front of a window, looking outside at the view of the buildings in the distance. It was 'night time' in their side of the Plant, building lit up like Christmas lights amidst the darkness. The man wore a mask, unlike that of Rau Le Creuset's, this one covered his entire face and was made out of steel. It was black, it didn't have obvious ports for the eyes, as there were several red slits on both sides of the mask. There was a yellow centerpiece on the forehead, which sometimes gave you the impression that was his eye.

His real name was known by only a few, he better know simply as Grey, the masked phantom of the Swords. He was picked into the team because of his specialty in field intelligence gathering. Miyuki could always rely on him to provide her with excellent intelligence.

Right now however, he was the one in need of intelligence. He lost contact with commander Kajiura since her last wire to him. It said that Heliopolis was under attack and that all packages for her were to be delivered to the B-site. He hadn't heard from her since.

Though he knew his commander was probably just lying low, he was still concerned, after all, he too was only human. He was also concerned in where the war was going. The perfection of the neutron jammer cancellers was just around the corner, Genesis Alpha and Omega were now fully operational and since ZAFT had acquired new technologies from the Alliance's mobilesuits, new mobilesuits that are more powerful were under construction. He himself was involved in a mobilesuit project.

The Earth Alliance maybe the enemy, but with the way Patrick Zala was handling things in the National Defense committee, the heartache may soon affect once again those in the Plants.

There was no real definite plan in stopping Genesis, in fact, the whole thing was a spur of the moment decision in commander Kajiura's part. She didn't made any arrangements whatsoever when she escaped with her daughter and the blueprints of the Genesis ELMT firing system and her research on the N-jammers. She just did it, improvising along the way.

He remained in the Plants, even though he was also officially AWOL from ZAFT, to keep an eye on things. Zaft Personnel loyal to him provided reports of what was going on and he would report everything to the commander. That was about all he had done so far, but had a feeling he was going to do much more very soon, it only a matter of time.

Just then, the double door behind him opens.

"Commander Grey?" A woman's voice called into the dimly lit room.

"Yes," Grey replied with an unnervingly deep voice. "You may enter."

The female green uniformed ZAFT soldier enters the room.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You have several calls coming from Commander Visch Donahue, he wishes to speak to you."

The mask man turns around, an eyebrow raised under his mask, "Has he now? Any code given?"

The soldier nods, "Sir, he called you in the name Bokuden Tsukahara."

He raises his eyebrow even more, only one person was supposed to know that name.

Grey nods, "I see… you may leave, I'll contact him myself."

The wheels may have just begun turning.

**Maius Three, **

Visch was a little surprised when he found out where Hannah was being held. He thought she was in the colony's military holding facility or at least the public jail. Instead, he finds that she was staying in a dormitory for visiting PLANT/ZAFT dignitaries from the other cities and she was under house arrest. He recognizes the guards assigned as from Yuri Amalfi's personal bodyguard. For a person who had committed a rather serious crime, she sure was being treated like a celebrity.

The security measures were adequate, but was lax compared to what Visch was used to. After signing in a log book and having himself be searched, he was allowed to speak her.

Visch walks the through hallway leading to Hannah's room alone, Shiho and Chris waited for him outside the building. He looked around, she had been placed in the more upscale part of the place.

"Maybe I'll end up this way if I blow up several ginns myself," He quipped to himself.

He knocks on the door, after several moments it opens. Hannah was a rather petite woman, she was probably as tall his armpit, Visch was about 6'1" feet.

She smiles when she saw the one-eyed veteran, "Oh, it's you."

Visch gives a dimpled smirk as he gives the woman a hug, "Hey there, I came here as soon I found out. So did the military treat you bad or anything? I'll beat up anyone who hurt you."

"I'm fine…" Hannah presses herself against him, closing her eyes as small tears form, "Thank you…"

She pushes herself away from him, "Oh sorry, where are my manners? Please come in."

Visch steps into the apartment, he whistled as he looked around the room assign to her.

The place most definitely qualified for a presidential suite, the rugs were high quality oriental, most of the furniture were masterwork handcrafts from the Middle East and there were beautifully paintings and sculptures in the different nooks and crannies.

"Hannah," Visch began. "You've made the big time."

"Oh you know it's just a temporary arrangement," She replied a little ruefully. "Tea? Or would you prefer coffee?"

"Anything will do," He replied.

The both sat together over the coffee table, she pours tea into a cup for him.

They started off by doing small talk then gradually, Visch slowly pushes the subject to about Domio. She began recounting what had happened.

How she had planted the explosives and how close she had got in destroying everything that anything to do with Domio's work.

And how a young Junk guildsman named Lowe Guele talked her out of it, while she pointed a gun at him.

He managed to pull the hard drive which contains vital test data ZAFT needed out of Domio's ginn. She threatens to shoot him if he didn't drop it. Several fuel tanks caught fire, an evacuation alert was issued. It was just her and the young Natural. She tries to him that ZAFT will just use that data to make more weapons, to kill more people and cause further heartbreak.

But he had a few words of his own.

"_That's a possibility. But, I saved this hard drive because Domio died for what he believed in. Who knows, maybe this data may prevent ZAFT from making the same mistake." _

"_In the end, it's not the technology that kills but the people who pull the trigger. _

"…I just couldn't accept Domio was gone just like that." Hannah said sadly. "And yet, he may be right."

"Domio wanted to do his part in the war, he always felt the need to do something for the Plants."

Tears began to shed in her eyes, she tries her best to wipe them away. "Once… he told me that he joined ZAFT to help end the war sooner. He… he said when the war ended we would marry. He wanted us to raise a family and to live a happy life, without any fear of another Junius Seven…"

Visch holds her as close as she broke down, "Visch… Did Domio do the right thing…?"

The one green eyed soldier comforts her as best he could, stroking his hand gently down her back and hushing her.

"He did, all of us."

He sat with her for a little longer, when someone else knocked on the door.

When Hannah opens the door, Shiho and Chris greet as they enter.

"Visch," Shiho called. "We just got a call from Marvin. They're starting the inquiry in an hour."

"We really have to go," Chris said.

Visch sighs, standing up. "Duty calls. I guess this is 'bye for now."

He gives the young woman another and kiss on both cheeks, "If you need anything at all just call me."

Hannah holds him tight, "I will."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Archangel, Hangar **

"Where the heck can that kid be…?" Mu muttered no one in particular. He had searched all over the ship looking for Kira, but didn't have any luck finding him. He almost had the feeling the boy's avoiding him. He shrugged, _maybe he just needs space._

He finally gives up and enters the hangar, he had already searched the place already and most of the mechanics haven't seen him.

"Hey there!!" Mu called Kojiro Murdoch, Murrue Ramius and Miyuki Kajiura as they were discussing some technical matters. Once again, Miyuki wears the OMNI-Enforcer officer's uniform, the sleeves rolled up just like Mu's.

The gruff Chief Mechanic turned to look at him, "Oh, Lt. La Flaga. What're you doing here?"

"Oh I'm just going around the ship… so what're you guys been doing?"

Miyuki smiles at him, "Oh not much."

Murrue also smiles, "we just tinkered with your Zero a bit."

Mu frowns for moment, somehow a little bit wary of their cheerful tune, "What did you do to it? I'm supposed to fly it y'know."

"Remember those beam gunbarrels the Eurasians?" She asked as they walk toward the Mu's Zero. "Well, let's just say your unit got little upgrade."

Mu grins as he saw the new gunbarrels, "Alright, now at least I have a chance against the G-units."

He checks his Mobilearmor closely and smiles at what he sees, "Hey! You even got the smaller ones in there!"

"Yup," Murdoch nods, "We also added a beamsaber on each of the gunbarrels, just in case you need to fight up close."

"And that's not all," Miyuki continued. "We also added a little feature that may come in handy."

"Luke!" Murdoch called, "Fire her up!"

The black South African nods, "Right."

The Zero's purple paintjob began to change, turning to a claret color.

Mu's jaws drops with astonishment, "You didn't…"

Miyuki smiles, "We did. Your unit is now Phase Shift capable."

"I assure you though," Murrue added with smile of her own. "It wasn't easy."

Mu looks at her with a deeply impressed look, "Captain, Yuki, I'm almost tempted to kiss you both."

Miyuki chuckles, "Why I'm flattered, Oh Hawk of Endymion."

Murrue smiles, "Thanks but it a little inappropriate."

She continues on, "We swapped out the Zero's originally battery with a mobilesuit one to compensate for the beam weaponry, you should be able to last as long as the Strike if you're careful."

"Speaking of the Strike," Mu began, he hadn't spoke to neither Miyuki nor Murdoch the first time he was here and he wasn't really looking for him, he was just asking an idle question. "Have you guys seen the kid?"

"Oh you mean Kira?" Miyuki began, "Well… He's just been sitting in the cockpit of the Strike for the past three hours."

Mu gives her a perplexed look, "Huh? I asked the other mechanics here a while ago, they said he wasn't."

"That's because they didn't saw him," Murdoch replied. "The kid got here before most of them came back from their break."

"I've tried talking to him, but he seems to be dodging my questions." Miyuki sighs giving him a concerned look, "He's more open to you lately, can you please see what's wrong?"

Mu nods, "Sure, I'll see what I can do."

**Kira sat inside the Strike, he tries to focus on his work, programming the Strike's OS.**

But he was depressed, which isn't surprising if you knew his situation.

_Kira! Why are you in the Earth forces?-!_

_Why are you fighting for the Naturals?-!_

_Why are fighting against us, your own kind?-!_

Athrun, his best friend, was with the enemy, and now he was a traitor to his own kind... or so Garcia said.

_But you're a traitor to the Coordinators._

_I don't know the reason, but, once you fired upon your kind…_

Garcia's words kept ringing in his head. He shook his head, trying to getting out of his head. But the more he did so, the more they stuck. It was bad enough he fighting his own friend, but now he had the guilt that he betraying someone.

"Kid…" Mu calls as he enters cockpit but the young coordinator doesn't acknowledge him, apparently focusing intently on his work.

"Kid!" he calls out louder.

"Huh?" The teen finally looks up. "Oh… Lt. La Flaga…"

The mobile armor pilot gets himself inside the Strike's cockpit, "Why the long face?"

"C'mon," He urges him, like an older brother would. "Let's go get a bite to eat."

"I don't really…" Kira responds glumly, "…have much of an appetite right now."

"Kid, eating when its time to eat is also one of your responsibilities now," He said in firm yet laidback tone. "Now c'mon you've gotta eat something after three hours of non-stop work!"

**Elsewhere in the hangar,**

Frank lights a cigarette as he leans against his Legionnaire Firefly. No one who didn't know him would suspect he was an explosive ordnance expert, one of the best in fact.

He was the "Onager" a word based in the Latin for wild ass or donkey, it was use to term a siege weapon with the same name that toppled many a fortresses and strongholds that rose against the Roman Legion.

Franklin Snow was both a master bomb maker and diffuser, he created as many ingenious explosive devices as he did defusing them. His mastery of the deadly art culminated in the year before, 9 days before Junius Seven, during the bombing of Copernicus, when a UN conference was held there, the secretary-general and major delegates of the UN attended, meeting up with ZAFT and Earth Alliance officials in a last ditch effort to avert war. Taskforce Bravo was assigned in security detail, Frank got up that day thinking it would be a typical security stint. Boy was he wrong.

It started off normal enough, but as the conference went on, one of Jethro's outside sources informed of several explosive devices planted in several places in the conference area. Antonio hands authority to Frank, being better trained in situations like this. The ECM unit on site quickly jammed the area, to disable any attempt to remotely detonate an explosion. The secretary-general and several major UN officials were discreetly spirited away by before the evacuation was announced. For some unexplained reason, the UN bomb disposal team was not present near the conference, they have assigned in the spaceport of Copernicus which was on the other side of the colony from them, leaving only Frank and several explosives experts from other teams.

The bombs themselves were easy to find, thankfully, the K9 units were on site. It was the type they were was what worried the men on sight. They were large, about the size of a small cooler, and very sophisticated devices, they had pressure sensitive trigger, if they were moved even just a millimeter their 20 kg. payload of RDX – which were each divided into four separate blocks around the detonator – would go off, a measure that Frank would do if he wanted to blow something with bombs this size. This wasn't the handiwork of some smalltime group, this was from someone who meant business. Among the explosives personnel onsite was a young woman, Danica Turner, she was from the Oceanic Union Marine corps before she made the jump to UNAAF, one of Frank's former teammates back when he was in the marines. She was also Frank's fiancé, they were supposed to have married on Valentines Day that year. The men on site have managed to diffuse all but one of the bombs, the one Danica had taken. It was located below the podium where the UN secretary general had been.

---

"_Bugger…" She muttered in the radio to Frank, they determined earlier that the bombs operating completely by timer and sensors so it was relatively safe to use radios. "This girl's giving me quite a run… Hey I could use some help here."_

"_Roger that, love." He replied, making his way toward the main building. "What does look like anyway?"_

"_It's a little different from the others… obviously bigger, they must've really wanted the Sec-Gen dead with this one. She's got a multi trigger detonator, I've managed to disable most of them but – shit!"_

_Frank froze for moment, "What is it?-!"_

"_The bastards placed a hidden trigger on one of the screws! The timer's accelerated to seconds! Everybody, get out of the perimeter! You only got twenty seconds!"_

_Frank breaks into a sprint, but not away from the building but to it. "Nicky! Get out of there!"_

_But Danica didn't comply, "No… even if I run as fast as I can, I won't make it… I'm going to disconnect some of the RDX from the device. The blast won't be as large as it should be…. That may save a few more people…"_

_Frank's eyes widened, they had discovered earlier that there was a booby trap on the wires linking the detonator to the explosives, they would blow immediately when disconnected._

"_What are you saying?-!" He ran even harder toward the building, the distance looked so far away. "Don't do it! Please!"_

"_I love you Frank… I'm sorry…"The conference building exploded, windows and parts of the wall were blown out._

"_Danica!" His anguished cry was drowned by the roar of the blast._

_---_

**Not much of Lt. Jr. Grade Danica Turner was ever recovered.**

Her body, with its close proximity to the blast, was literally obliterated. What was left of her was enough to fit in a small shoebox. Frank pulls out something from his pocket, it was the wedding ring he intended to give her during the big day. It was almost unreal, one moment he was just talking to her then suddenly she was gone. Just like that, gone forever.

Jethro walks by and leans next to him, "You got a smoke?"

"Hmm?" Frank look at him, "Oh, sure."

He hands him his packet, "Here…"

"Thanks," the older man replied, putting one on his lips and uses his own lighter.

Jethro then notices the rings. "You still have 'em?"

Frank sighs with a nod, "They're one of the few things I have left of her."

"You miss her pretty bad huh?" He commented.

"More than you'll ever know…" The normal cheerful and optimistic Australian said in a tired, drained voice.

Jethro sighs, places a hand over his shoulder.

"Sella Vi…" He muttered. "Sella fucking Vi."

**Archangel, Crew's Shower room**

Flay stares at a basin of water, "What that's it?-!"

"It was hard enough getting this much!" Mir retorts.

"That's not enough to wash my hair!" Flay continues to complain.

"Of course not!" The shorter haired teen sighs, placing her hands on her sides. "You should be thankful there's enough to wash your face!"

"I also brought a change of underwear." Mir hands her a pair.

"Huh?"

Flay gets hold of it, her eyes widen in horror when she saw they were cotton underwear colored white with a small ribbon on the front. "W-What's this?-!"

"No way!" She practically shrieks, "I can't wear these kiddy panties!"

"There's nothing you can do about it! They're military issue supplies!" Mir yells, her usually well off friend was getting to last nerve.

"Or would you rather us wear the same dirty underwear?-!" the young teen asked.

The red haired girl looks down the floor, defeated and mortified. "Ugh…"

"Come on, Flay." Mir said as she took of her belt. "Off with your clothes!"

"Even though this room is supposed to be off limits, they're making an exception for us!"

_I'm sure glad the captain is a woman! _Mir thought she strips off.

**Outside, the Heliopolis boys were up to no good**

…well most of them anyway, Sai's there just because Kuzzey and Tolle forced him to be the look out.

"Won't this door open manually…?" Tolle muttered as he attempted to work on the lock.

Kuzzey had some… err… rather dirty thoughts, _Oh… Miriallia…_

"Uh… Guys…" Sai began, obviously not wanting to be there. "We shouldn't be really doing this…"

**Back inside the room, **

Flay continues to complain, "How awful… Stuck on this ship…"

"You'd rather been on that broken down lifepod?" Mir countered, _I can't believe her…_

After that reply, she hears Tolle's voice from outside the room. "Sai, can't you get through this lock somehow?"

"I'm telling you I can't!"

**Outside, Tolle continued to debate with Sai.**

"Well… What if you search through all the electronic lock numbers…"

"Nobody can do that sort of thing except Kira," Sai replied.

Without them seeing, Kira and Mu come across the trio.

Kira stared at the unusual sight, not knowing what they were doing. "Sai… Tolle… Kuzzey…?"

Mu walks just behind, "What are you guys out to?"

Tolle and Kuzzey both jump in fright, Sai froze on his spot, all three had wide eyes.

"Waaah!" Tolle yells "Kira! Lt. La Flaga!"

"Nothing at all!" He replies as all three of them ran like hell down the hall away from Mu and Kira, "Excuse us!"

"Hey!" Mu yelled, staring at them as they disappeared in the distance. "What's with them…?"

"I dunno…" Kira said, equally bewildered.

Mu attention turned to the shower room's door as heard splashes of water inside, "This room's supposed to be off-limits. There's someone inside!"

"Eh?" Kira too turns to the direction of the door.

"Hey," Seeing that it was locked, Mu pounds his fist on the door. "Open up, you're not supposed to use any water!"

The door opens up alright… as it did, gets an unannounced bath as he was splashed with water in the general upper body.

"You pervert!" Mir growls, covering her self with a towel, holding it in place with her left hand

While she puts up her right fist menacingly. "You better leave us alone or I'm gonna get mad!"

_You're already mad…_ Flay commented in her mind.

Soaking wet and dripping, Mu blinked, now thoroughly confused. "W-what's going on here…?"

The sight of his two female friends wearing only towels made Kira face red, and he found himself suddenly turning hot.

_Flay… Miriallia…_

Mir's eyes widen when she realizes what she had done, "L-Lt. La Flaga?-!"

She holds up both hands in shock, unintentionally letting go of her towel.

It falls down to her feet, revealing her naked body – in _full view_ of Mu and Kira.

Kira's heart rate probably spiked during those few blank seconds before Mir reacts.

Her scream was clearly heard by anyone in a forty yard radius.

"**What the hell was that?"**

Jethro asked as he turns to the direction of the scream. He and Frank were on the way to the cafeteria.

"C'mon old bloke," Frank dashes off. "It came from this way!"

"Hey!" Jethro called as they turned on the corner. "What the hell-! Ack! Hey! Ouch! Owy!"

"Oy!" Frank yells. "Ow! We just got here!

"WAH!!!" Mu yelled.

"W-wait a second!" Kira tried to protest.

**Archangel, Bridge **

"Unbelievable…" Natarle muttered with closed eyes. "Esspecially for you Lt. La Flaga…"

"What are you accusing me of?-!" Mu yelled defensibly, still wondering what the hell happened to him.

He stood on the right end of the rank, along with Frank, Jethro, Kira, Tolle, Kuzzey and Sai, in that order from right to left facing them. All bore red markings which showed where Mir hit them on their faces, all with a thought in their minds.

Frank was confused Mu was, _Crikey! What the Crocker did I do?_

Jethro rubbed his face, _What the hell am I doing here? I'm too old for this shit…_

Kira was feeling really distressed, _Oh… Now Flay'll probably hate me for sure…_

Tolle had an annoyed look, _Crap… I didn't even see a thing…_

Kuzzey had a blush in his face, _I wish saw something…_

While Sai was generally dismayed, _Why me…?_

"…For a military man…" Lt. Natarle Badgiruel continued. "No for any man at all… peeping is a despicable act! Usually sexual harassment on a battleship results in a court-martial!"

Antonio, who stood on her left, stared at her in the corner of his eye with a little irony. Miyuki, who stood on Natarle's right, was still trying to swallow the thought of Kira and Sai being peeping-toms. _I can understand with rest of them, but those two?_

Tolle and Kuzzey both swallowed hard.

Captain Murrue Ramius intervenes, "That's enough, Ensign."

The young ship XO turns to confront her, "But we can't just overlook the fact that–"

"I admit, their behavior was certainly immodest." She began, giving the four Heliopolis volunteers a stern look. "But they're not really official soldiers."

"And now that we're about to try and obtain some supplies, we really don't have time for trivialities."

Normally the ensign would argue, but right now the captain was right and she simply nods

"Supplies?" Sai said. "There's some way we can get some?"

"You might say that," Mu replied.

"More accurately we're gonna have to take them," Antonio finished with a calm voice.

Kira's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"We're now entering the Debris Belt," Murrue informed them. "As you know, besides various things such as old tools, obsolete satellites, there are also a number of wrecked spacecraft, According to the laws of salvage, these ships belong to no one as long as they're just floating, abandoned, in orbit."

Sai drew back, floating away. "Hold on a minute! You don't mean-"

"We do I'm afraid," Jethro replies. "We are in a rather dire supply situation. We don't have much choice in the matter."

"But that's stealing!" Kuzzey protested.

Mu shook his head. "No, it isn't. When it comes to salvaging, its finder's keepers, and has been for a long time. And Mstr. Sgt. Mills is right, we don't have any other choice."

"So what does that have to do with us?" Kira asked. "We don't know what to look for."

"You don't have to." Murrue looked at each of them in turn.

"What we need you young people for is to man the shuttles to bring in the supplies, once we've found them. You'll be along for the search as well, of course, but Petty Officers Chandra, Pal and Lt. Flaga will accompany you, as well as Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire and his men, they're familiar with this area."

"You might say that." Antonio looks out the main view port.

"Time's a wasting' people," he announces. "Let's move."

Before the salvage crew left, Antonio makes a quick whisper to Natarle. "You're not counting me on the court-martial thing are you?"

She gives him a rueful smirk, she whispers back. "Of course not."

Her widens her smile and winks at him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**PLANT Supreme Council Chamber in Aprilius One.**

Rau Le Creuset was delivering his report on the events at Heliopolis to the PLANT Supreme Council. It was an unenviable job.

Miguel Aiman, Athrun Zala and Visch Donahue all sat on the sideline. Miguel and Visch had already given their side of the report. Their views couldn't have been more different; Miguel declared the collapse, the fault of the Naturals themselves by created mobilesuits within the colony. While Visch called it a series of unfortunate events that was caused by both sides, which led to the disaster. Visch sat on the bench on attention, his almost perfect sitting posture prompted the young elites next to him to do the same.

Rau was about finish his speech, "...And, as you can see from the information I've provided, the collapse of Heliopolis was unavoidable; and, in the end, due to the Earth Forces' and UNAAF's own actions."

_Unavoidable my ass_, Visch thought. _If you didn't decide to order all of us to a D-configuration, we wouldn't be here in the first place. But you'd probably argue that you had to destroy that last unit, after all, it's your ass that's on the line here._

Various members of the Council, such as Chairman Siegel Clyne and Representative Eileen Canaver were obviously concerned by this news, but Defense Chairman Patrick Zala merely nods.

"Understood Commander," Zala began. "However, are these new machines worth the sacrifices made by our ZAFT forces?"

Le Creuset nods. "I believe so, Sir, and to explain their phenomenal potential, I have here one of our pilots, Athrun Zala, who flew one of the units."

He glanced back. "Athrun?"

Athrun steps forward, swiftly taking his commander's place before the Council table.

"First," he began, showing no trace of his unease at facing the Supreme Council of the PLANTs, "I would like to present this machine, the Aegis."

Holographic images of the red mobile suit appeared in the air. "One major characteristic is its transformation capability, allowing it to convert to a mobile armor for certain specialized roles. With its transforming frame, the GAT-X303 Aegis is fundamentally different from the other five machines."

Combat data began streaming, and he began to point out the weapons. "In mobile suit mode, it is equipped with the CIWS Igelstellungs, four beam sabers, an anti-beam shield, and a high-energy focused beam rifle. In mobile armor form, its main weapon is the Scylla, a 580 millimeter multiphase energy cannon."

A graphic was shown of it going from basic gray to its standard red. "One major technological advance used in these machines is Phase-shift armor. When in use, it puts a severe drain on the machine's energy battery, but it has compensations: this new armor is virtually impervious to physical weapons, and can only be pierced by energy weapons such as beam rifles and sabers."

The image changed, to Yzak's gray-and-blue machine. "GAT-X102: the Duel," Athrun continued. "The most basic of the six machines, this mobile suit is intended for close combat, and is believed to be the basis for the other five machines. It is the most lightly armed, having only CIWS, two beam sabers, and a beam rifle with attached grenade launcher."

He pointed out the next model, Dearka's green-and-tan unit. "GAT-X103 Buster. It possesses no close-range weapons, and appears to be intended for fire support and long-range sniper attacks. It is not equipped with a shield; however, it does have a 57 millimeter gun launcher, a high-energy focused beam rifle, and a pair of missile launchers, one in each shoulder. In the hands of an expert marksman, Buster is a lethal weapon."

The graphic switched to Nicol's menacing -black-and-red mobile suit. "GAT-X207: the Blitz. This model is equipped with a unique system known as Mirage Colloid, which covers the machine with colloid gas particles, held in place by an electromagnetic field, rendering Blitz virtually invisible radar, infrared, and even to the naked eye; however, power requirements mean it cannot be used while Phase-shift is active. Blitz is also equipped with the Gleipnir piercer lock, and the Trikeros offensive shield system, which consists of a beam rifle, beam saber, and three kinetic penetrator darts."

Athrun braced himself for what he was about to explain. "And now, the one that got away." He altered the image, displaying Kira Yamato's machine. "GAT-X105 Strike. In the case of this model and others after this, we are limited to data from the machines we've captured and our own observation alone, but we've already seen all of its various weapons in action. First, the machine itself is equipped with Igelstellungs, a beam rifle, and a pair of Armor Schneider combat knives, stored in the hips. Additionally, its loadout can be customized through the use of Striker packs, giving it added firepower, endurance, and maneuverability. Most versatile is the Aile package, which grants the Strike atmospheric flight capabilities and a pair of beam sabers, making it essentially an up-rated version of the Duel. The Launcher loadout, on the other hand, equips the machine with an antiship Vulcan cannon, a pair of gun launchers, and a 320 millimeter hyper-impulse cannon."

"As you can see from the combat data-" scenes from Heliopolis were playing "-it has power far in excess of any other mobile suit. Finally, the Sword Strike pack uses a fifteen-meter antiship sword, a rocket anchor, and a beam boomerang."

"On a side note," the image changes to show white ginn. "This is the ginn we have codenamed "White Phantom", it has been fighting for the Legged ship since its discovery."

The scene first shows footage the ginn equipped with the Sword unit the boomerang that cuts off Le Creuset's CGUE arm. Rau frowns when he sees the footage, while Visch smirks.

"It has no phase shift armor and its only equipped armaments are two custom made swords, but it has been modified to be capable of using the Strike's weapon's systems. Even with the lack of phase shift armor, you can see it is more than capable of handling several of our own ginns by itself, which gives you an idea of how much power the Strike has."

Eileen Canaver's eyes widen when she notes how the white ginn effortlessly dispatch the ginns with no more than two swords. There were only three people she knew who could even do that, Visch Donahue, Lenneth Carrington and…

"Yuki…?" She whispered.

The image changes again. "Now, the following are mobilesuits belongs to the UNAAF. We believe the Orb weapons firm Morgenroete, originally created these units first before the previous five we've seen. From what we under from the data, the project was originally intended only for the nations of Orb, Scandinavia and EU, for some reason the Earth Alliance convince Morgenroete to manufacture ones for them."

"First, the EUMS-Mk109 Wyvern," Scenes of the unit in Heliopolis plays. "This unit is a new mass production Equatorial Union model designed for atmospheric and space combat. Their frames are similar to that of the Strike and Duel. They are not equipped with phase shift armor, but what are equipped is special leg unit that packs the leg together when in atmospheric combat, this reduces drag making this a very fast suit in atmosphere. It is equipped with CIWS, several machineguns on the chest, missilepods, Armor Schneiders, Beam sabers and a beamrifle."

Once more the image changes, "Next are the UN prototypes, this is the GAT-X014 Siginarugan," Images of the Siginarugan effortlessly destroying several ginns shows. The sheer speed of the destruction of each ginn caused gasps among the council members. "This unit has already gained a reputation among our pilots of being a dangerous close range combat mobilesuit. It frame we believe is the origin of the Blitz's design. Like the Blitz, it has Mirage Colloid, it also it's unique system which is known as RHEA, the system acts as both an external armor and additional propulsion for the Siginarugan depending on the situation. Its armament consists of Igelstellung CIWS, several larger caliber machineguns, beamsabers, "Armor Jaeger" combat blades, a grappling harpoon, a beamcanon with a grenade launcher type attachment and its most deadly armament, a double beam scythe that can split in half to form two beam sickles."

The image changes one last time, "Finally, this is the GAT-X013 Chimera. This suit is by far the most versatile among all the mobilesuits we've seen. The basic frame is the same to the other units, except when it comes to the leg which is capable of transforming to three leg variations, a basic humanoid form, a quadruped spider form and a hovercraft form similar to the Equatorial Legionnaire series. It's been observed that it can also use weapons from the Strike's packs. It's also equipped with Mirage Colloid and another unique system known as Rommel Panzer. It is a system that causes Mirage Colloid gas around the Chimera to absorb any incoming beam attacks. It's armaments are Igelstellungs, larger caliber machineguns, two beam rifles that can merge to form a beam canon, two extendable arrestor claws, two plasma canons, beamsabers and a long combat glaive. We believe the pilot of this suit is the Spartan of Waves himself, Antonio Le St. Claire."

The council members looked among each other uneasily, if the remaining neutral countries would indeed join the war on the Earth Alliance side, he would most definitely become a huge problem. Antonio Le St. Claire was a well known for his exploits in the last war. He was named "Todes Jaeger", the Hunter of Death by ZAFT soldiers, for the almost guarantee of death to all those who fought him. The thought of him even indirectly involved in the war against the Plants was most unsettling.

"Thank you for your report," Clyne said. "Commander Le Creuset, Commander Donahue, Mr. Zala and Mr. Aiman you're dismissed."

They saluted.

"Yes, Sir," Le Creuset said respectfully, and left with Athrun and Miguel. Visch looks back the round table of the supreme council then leaves.

After they were gone, Elsman nearly snapped the pencil he held. "They've manufactured these abominations?" he said through gritted teeth, "So much for the neutral nations' claims of neutrality!"

"Representative Elsman," Eileen Canaver began. "The respective governments of three nations have already assured us that the UNAAF force in Heliopolis had acted on their accord in order to protect the colony, they were simply doing their jobs."

"Only doing their jobs?-!" Louise Leitner repeated incredulously. "They repeatedly assisted the Earth forces in Heliopolis, aiding them and preventing our forces from obtaining their objectives! Not to mention half of our casualties after the collapse were caused by them!"

"And can how you be so sure of the neutral nation's assurances?" Ezalia Joule added. "Can the word of a Natural truly be trusted?"

Eileen's gives the older woman a stare but politely answers, "King Gerard of Scandinavia has openly admitted coordinators from the Atlantic and Eurasia Federations into his country to escape persecution. President Emma Tao's husband is a coordinator as well as several members of her cabinet and Representative Uzumi Nara Athha's country has more than once given us assistance before. I believe that has enough reason to trust the neutral nations even a little."

She then turns to Louise Leitner, "As for the matter of the incident after the collapse, bear in mind there are survivors of Heliopolis in the Alliance ship. The safety of Orb citizens was the responsibility of the UNAAF force."

"Orb was the one who created those monstrosities!" Jeremy Maxwell countered, "Which is clearly an act of war!"

Canaver was about to answer when Legislative Chairman Ali Kasim spoke, "Don't you think you're ahead of yourselves? Even if I don't have much experience as any of you when it comes to war, but even I can understand that it is individual groups from the neutral nations are the cause of this. Not the nations themselves."

Eileen nods to him then continues, "Representative Kasim has a point. And keep in mind the operation systems in the mobilesuits were virtually inoperable before our own forces altered them. The reason of the final mobilesuit's performance maybe because of a coordinator from the UNAAF is operating the unit out of necessity. The Earth Alliance does not exactly welcome coordinators within their ranks, which is the major reason why Orb, the EU and Scandinavia are not a part of the Alliance."

Unbeknownst to Eileen, Patrick Zala was staring at her hard.

"Surely only five Earth Alliance machines," Yuri Amalfi said uneasily, "Four of which are now in our hands- cannot be that much of a threat."

"Perhaps not," Zala acknowledged. "But the next stage is obviously mass production; and that, Representative Amalfi, is a threat."

He glowered at the room at large. "And the possibility of the neutral nations siding with the Alliance makes the situation even worse!" he went on, visibly getting hold of himself, "If rumors are to spread, it affect morale of here and in the front. Desertions among the ranks may increase because of it."

"And what is it to say," Joule added, "that the neutral nations will not join the Alliance?"

"Can you answer that, Chairman Canaver?" She challenges at the younger woman.

Eileen's ire had become a little more apparent, she was about answer back when Siegel Clyne stopped her.

"But Representative Joule," Siegel began. "I will not tolerate such taunts in this council, be warned."

He than turns to Patrick, "As for you Defense Chairman Zala, don't think you're over reacting to the situation?"

Patrick scowled, "Overreacting?-! We are at war here!"

"I understand your concern Chairman Zala. But afford simply to cut relations with the neutral simply because of the actions of independent groups."

"But Chairman Clyne," Representative Maxwell said. "If the so-called neutral nations are sincere of their claims, why would they allow these groups to aid the Earth Forces as far as they did? Surely they would have noticed it in the earlier stages."

"They couldn't have possibly done this by themselves!" Leitner declared. "The naturals are playing us for fools!"

Eileen had enough, she was fed up with the hawkish maneuvers of the Radicals faction.

"We can't just declare war on them because of allegations!" Eileen said with a raised voice.

"I agree with Representative Canaver," Parnel Jasek spoke up. "We can't just dive into this without actual facts!"

Ezalia sneers at him, "Don't you call what Commander Le Creuset presented actual facts?-!"

"It's not enough to justify the action you're suggesting," Parnell shot back.

Members of the council began to raise their voices at each other.

"Silence," Siegel Clyne called, seeing that the rift between the Moderates and Radicals was once again becoming apparent.

His call fell to deaf ears as the voices of the councilmen began to rise.

"We should declare war on Orb at least!" Maxwell shouted.

"That's what the Alliance would want us to do!" Eileen yells.

"We declaring war on Orb or any of the other neutral nations will open new fronts!" Eileen pointed out. "New fronts will mean stretching our already thinly placed forces even further!"

"And do suggest we do Chairman Canaver?" Ezalia challenged. "Sit back and do nothing?"

"Of course not!" Eileen shot back, "But expanding the war now would be in our enemy's favor!"

"Silence!-!" Siegel yells louder.

"We are fighting for our people's very survival here!" Herman Gould countered.

"We can still achieve that with diplomacy!" Eileen points out.

"You and your diplomacy," Ezalia sneered. What point is it if the other side doesn't listen? Why are you defending the Naturals much Chairman Eileen Canaver? Don't you have any loyalty to the Plants?-!"

Eileen gives her a deathly glare, that was the last straw. She stands up, slamming her hands on the table.

"Ms. Canaver!" Siegel tries to stop her to no avail.

"Don't you dare question my loyalty!" Any self-control left in her had withered away. The frustrations she had felt because of the radical finally got to her. "I'm simply pointing out that what you people are suggesting will cause the deaths of our men we can't afford to lose! Why can't you people put that through your thick heads?-!"

Everyone else had fallen silent, not daring to speak, the normally calm, mild mannered diplomatic chairman had cracked, and no knew how she would react if they did.

"Our troops aren't pawns you can just throw away, and don't give me that crap about sacrifices have to be made! I refuse to see our men fighting and dying for stupid reasons!"

"There is one here who wishes to fight!" Patrick Zala boomed.

The attention turned to him.

"Chairman Zala…" Ezalia murmured.

Patrick eyes her, "Who among us enjoys going to war?"

The Defense chairman turns to Eileen, "I understand how you feel Chairman Canaver…"

Siegel stares at Patrick hard, but lets him continue.

"I totally agree with Ms. Canaver," He declares. "We shouldn't worry ourselves with such trivial matters such as the incident in Heliopolis. What is done is done, we should learn to forgive and show the naturals we have more integrity than they ever have."

Ezalia and the other Radicals were completely muted by this.

"After all, we all wish to live in peace… To able to live a quiet life… That is our only wish and hope."

Patrick then stood up, "And who is it that brutally smashed that hope?-! Who has continued to exploit us, suppressing us for their own selfish gain and desire?-!"

"We never forget who the true enemy is!" Patrick yelled, almost in a fit, "We should never forget…the tragedy of the "Bloody Valentine" of Junius Seven!-!"

"Two hundred forty-three thousand seven hundred twenty one…that's how many coordinators were lost in that horrible day…" Patrick Zala said that part with a tired sounding voice. He was either trying to hammer in the loss the Plants and ZAFT suffered there or it was a genuine reaction of grief, no one can really tell.

His voice quickly goes back to its furious vigor, "We fight in order to protect ourselves! If fighting is the only way we can survive… then we must fight!"

The chamber fell silent, the shock of Patrick's fervor.

Eileen stood, looking at the defense chairman, not sure whether to be thankful for somewhat supporting her or be angry for slightly twisting her own words for his own needs. There was arguing on who had won this debate.

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**The Archangel and Basilisk, having entered the extremely hazardous Debris Belt, had finally begun its search for water and other possible supplies.**

To this end, the ships launched several Mistral work shuttles, along with the Strike, Chimera, Siginarugan, Headhunter, both Wyverns, and the Moebius Zero for escort purposes... as well as an inspection.

"Nothing here so far," Mu commented. "You'd think it'll be easy to find anything useful even out here in a sea of wrecks."

"I wouldn't bother searching in the smaller ones," Antonio replied. " The Junk Guild got most of the useful stuff anyway."

The Hawk nodded. "Yeah, I tip my hat to them," The Zero goes around a piece of an old ship's fuselage.

"Even with small ships it's pretty hard to navigate in here."

"Oh, that's because most Guilders would use Kimera shuttles in places like this."

Antonio looks at Mu's Zero to his mobilesuit's right, "See anything like what we're looking for yet?"

Mu squinted at his displays. "Not yet. Kira?"

"Me either." Kira glanced at the shuttles. "Sai, Tolle? Find anything?"

"Not yet," Sai answered. "Wait, there's something..."

They were coming up on a very large, very peculiar piece of debris, several kilometers in extent...

Tolle gasped. "No way! That's... that's..."

Everyone gawked at the massive object with awe and horror. The sight for Antonio and the UN soldiers was a little expected, there had been rumors that the remains had drifted into the space debris belt not long after the Bloody Valentine.

Michael sighed, shaking head at the remains of one of the worst atrocities humans could do to other humans. It was just pure insanity.

"Junius Seven."

**Murrue stared at the image on the screen in utter shock.**

"Are you sure?" she heard Mu ask, over the radio.

"Sure as hell," Michael answered. "I've seen the inside of a PLANT long enough to know what it looks like. That is it, all right."

"It's almost like a giant tomb stone in space," Mu commented.

"Actually Mu," Miyuki, manning the Archangel's fire control station, said. She never thought she'd ever see again as much as she prepared herself for it, "It is a tombstone… A tombstone for 245,190 people…"

"Yuki," Murrue said, concerned for her friend. "Are you okay?"

Miyuki manages to smile, shaking her head. "I'll be fine, thanks sempai," she replies.

Apparently, it was their day for surprises, no sooner as they found Junius Seven the next report showed.

"Mobile suit on radar!" Tonomura called out. "We're reading a CGUE on top the Plant's remains and a Laurasia-class just over the side!"

"Activate laser designator!" Natarle snapped, startled out of her self induced trance. "Load missile tubes, lock Gottfrieds on-"

"Negative on that," Antonio advised. "Weapons hold Archangel, take a closer look."

Puzzled, but Natarle complies... and after a moment later understood. "Oh… I see…"

"We should have known," Murrue murmured, seeing the new image on the screen.

It was a Laurasia-class and cgue all right, that had the Junk Guild emblem on them.

"This colony- or what's left of it anyway- is after all a large treasure trove of the Plant's technology."

Antonio chuckled quietly, "And even happen to know the guys who own that ship."

He then turns the dial of his radio. "This is Archangel Advance party calling Lead Zeppelin, is Archangel Advance party calling Lead Zeppelin. Lead Zeppelin, please respond."

Soon enough, his call was answered. Antonio was greeted by a rather gruff yet intelligent sounding voice, "Advance party, this is Lead Zeppelin we read you."

"Hey Jamie, how're you and your partner doing?"

"Oh, not too bad, we're doing pretty well actually."

"Do you mind if I come over?"

The Junk Guild pilot shrugged, "Sure, why not? C'mon over."

After the quick discussion with the voice, he glanced over his shoulder to the Zero. "Take it from here for while, Mu. I'm going over."

"Mind telling us who that was?" Murrue radios from the Archangel.

He looked back. "That was Jamie Savage, Capt. Ramius, a former Spartan from the wind corps. There's no need to worry... he's okay, he and his buddy Adam may just bail us out of our sticky situation."

The link was cut, and on the screen, the Chimera boosts off.

Mu watched the Chimera boost toward the Laurasia-class and CGUE, feeling almost as numb as the volunteers.

_The remains of Junius Seven... I had no idea they'd wound up here..._

**"Always out to get a great deal, eh?" Antonio called, as he got closer to the cgue.**

The pilot, who had a bushy brown mustache and unassuming brown eyes, raised an eyebrow and answered merely, "Aren't I always?"

Jamie whistles as he gets a good look of the mobilesuit his former superior was using. "That's one serious piece of hardware you got there."

"It's state of the art and cutting edge." Antonio grinned, "And don't even bother sparring with me in this suit.

The Junk Guilder chuckled, "Forget it, I just repaired this darned bucket of bolts."

Antonio cocked his head in surprise, "Jamie, a cgue is one of the best designed space mobilesuits out there. How can you say that?"

"This particular cgue," Jamie replied wryly. "Almost got me killed when my ship was attacked by that crazy space pirate… what's her name? …Oh yeah, Portia or something like that. This damn thing is a lemon, I'll trade her in as soon as I get back to Copernicus."

Antonio scowled "You almost got killed by Portia and her crew…? Dang, something must've really gone bad if that happened."

Jamie rolled his eyes, "That's an understatement, Legate. So… what're you and that ship doing out in the middle of this sea of junk anyway?"

"Dodging ZAFT," The Spartan of Waves replied simply. "I'm sure you heard by now what that ship is."

Jamie nods, "That thing's been the talk of the net. A new alliance assault battleship made to carry mobilesuits and it's about time too. As much as I love mobile armors, they're a thing of the past compared to mobilesuits."

"That's it alright," Antonio answered. "Hey Jamie, do you have some spare parts and ammunition you can spare?"

The mustached cgue pilot looked at him, intrigue. "You guys are short of supplies?"

"Yup," he replied. "We've been for the last few days. I'll be willing to pay for everything."

The Junk guilder thought for a moment, "You're gonna have to pay full price, I'm not lowering any of my rates."

Antonio frowned but nods, "Fine. I'll pay, you better not rip me off though."

Jamie chuckles, "Perish the though Ant, I don't rip off paying customers, especially rich ones."

"Whatever," Antonio muttered, knowing full well he just got the short end of the stick.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Visch was in the verge of insanity because of sheer boredom.**

He wasn't exactly the most patient person in the world, he hated waiting outside of combat. He was so bored that he was counting the people as they passed by the front of the building.

"3982…" He muttered as a woman wearing too much make up for his view passed him, "3983… 3984… 3985…"

The woman had a big nose by the way. _Can you say elephant? I know you can._

As he was about to reach four thousand, he notes that there were people exiting the council chamber.

"It about friggin' time…" he muttered.

**Eileen just felt exhausted.**

She could just barely hold up her things as she left the chamber. The Moderates had managed to keep the Radicals from gaining too much ground, but it was just a matter of time before they would get their way, as they neutral members of the council were noticeably favoring the Radical's course of action. Eileen rubs the side of her head, the pain and dizziness were getting worse, she knew she wasn't treating her self as well as she used to but she was just barely keeping up with the council.

"You've gotten a little carried away in there, Ms. Canaver." Siegel Clyne walks beside her.

She bows her head, "I'm sorry chairman… I let my emotions get the better of me, I'll accept any punishment-"

"Who said I'm goin to punish you?" The Supreme Chairman interrupted, "I would have loss my temper myself after a remark like that. Ms. Joule is more qualified for more punishment actually."

"Please sir," Eileen said. "Don't be to harsh on her, as much as we're at odds with each other, she's just doing her best for the Plants."

She smiles tiredly, "She's much more experienced than me after all. Who am I to tell her what the right way is anyway?"

The older man shook his head, "Sometimes, I believe you're too nice for this line of work."

He notes the skin under her eyes, "You haven't getting enough sleep have you?"

She reluctantly nods, "Yes sir, I haven't. Work just seems to pile up no matter what I do."

"That's normal," Siegel replied. "Work always piles up even if you get at it like a mindless drone."

Eileen sighs and replies a little stubbornly, "Yeah but I have to do it anyway aren't I?"

_Siegel old boy, she's going to wither herself away if you don't do something… desperate times call for desperate measures… sorry Eileen… but…_

"Ms. Canaver, You have the week off, I'll assign someone to deal with your workload starting tomorrow."

"Don't even think of sneaking in to work." He said in an almost fatherly tone. "Tonight, just go straight to bed. If you're not in a better state of health by then, I will suspend you from office for a month."

Her eyes widened, "W-what?-! Chairman Clyne, you can't just–!"

"Oh yes I can," he interrupted, "I'll have you be sedated if I have to. As much as I like you working hard, you're going to kill yourself if you keep this up!"

"But sir!" Eileen tries to argue, "I can't just leave you alone, especially in times like this…!"

"I'm no damn graying pensioner," He replied a little pointedly. "I'll more than capable of taking care of myself. You're on leave and that's final."

He sees Visch walk toward them, _perfect timing._

Visch salutes at both chairmen, "Chairman Clyne, Chairman Canaver, good afternoon to both of you."

Siegel nods to him, "Likewise commander Donahue. Your business is with Ms. Canaver, correct?"

"Yes sir, it is."

The chairman nods again, "Then I'll leave you to her."

Visch catches the quick wink the chairman gives him. The one-eyed soldier was a little surprised but nods, "Thanks sir."

Eileen was about to protest but Visch interrupted her. "Hey Eileen, it's been a while."

She forces a smile, "Hey Visch… it has been ages hasn't it?"

Visch looks at the councilwoman for a moment, he smirks slightly, deciding to poke fun at her right off the bat. "Say Ellie, is it just me or are you a little chubbier than I remember?"

Her smile quickly turns into an outraged glare, "What! How dare you! You have a lot of nerve, Visch!"

Siegel laughs, "He maybe right Ms. Canaver, especially since you've been cooping yourself up in your office all the time."

Visch looks at him with a toothy grin, "Good one sir."

Eileen just barely manages not to glares at either the supreme Chairman or her friend, she couldn't decide.

"Excuse me, commander." He says to Visch. "I'll just finish discussing with her some matters and I'll be on my way."

The ZAFT commander nods, "Sure thing sir, take your time."

"That was just mean sir," Eileen told the older man accusingly as Visch went a little distance away.

The usually serious man smirks, "I couldn't resist, sorry."

She looks away, "Hmph, you're so much like him sometimes."

The chairman chuckles, "I'm not sure whether that was a compliment or an insult."

"And Ms. Canaver," Siegel said with a knowing smile. "If you don't follow what I'm telling you do, I maybe forced to tell that little secret you've told me…"

She looks at him blankly at first, but she quickly gets it and stares at him in horror. "Y– You wouldn't!"

Siegel grins haughtily, "Oh I would, Ms. Canaver, I would. Now, do we have an agreement?"

Eileen looks down, her shoulders sag. She knew she was beaten, answering meekly, "Yes sir."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"**I see," **

Murrue replied after Antonio had just explained his transaction with the owner of the Junk Guild cgue.

"I guess we owe another one, Lt. Colonel."

Antonio nods with a smirk, "I'll put it on your tab."

"I'm quite surprised he can actually provide us with those types of ammunition," Natarle commented, "Most especially the Wombats and Corinthos, considering they're supposedly military issues only."

Antonio smirked even wider, "Oh it depends where you look, Ensign."

"So, what's left for us to do is gather up water supplies." Murrue concluded.

The UN officer nods, he then turns serious, "And I want to do inspection on Junius Seven, maybe we can find something else that maybe useful."

"Besides," Antonio sighs. "I'll need some footage of the place, this is after all is seen by some as an act against humanity. The UN councils may want records of this…"

Murrue looked away, "I understand… do what you have to."

Antonio nods, "Thank you captain."

For one moment, an eerie silence grips the bridge, a taint of shame crept among the hearts of the Archangel's officers and senior bridge crewmen. This atrocity after all was the act of their own military. What soldier who truly loves his homeland would not be ashamed when one of their own commits such a massacre of innocents?

Natarle was hit the hardest, being born of a military family, she was fiercely loyal to her homeland but she was still trying to get to grips the fact her own country destroyed almost a quarter million lives. …All, as Blue Cosmos would say, for the sanctity of a pure and blue world.

"Captain, I…" Natarle to struggles to get the words out of her mouth, "I want to join the inspection unit. I request to temporarily leave my post."

Captain stares at her executive officer, a little surprised by the request. After a moment of thought, she slowly nods. "Request granted, get someone to accompany you."

"I'll do it," Miyuki answered. "And don't even think of talking me out of it sempai."

Murrue looks at her and sighs, "Fine, do what you want."

"I'll come along too," Mir stood up.

Everyone stared at her with surprise.

"Mir…" Miyuki began. "Are you sure?"

The young girl nods nervously, "Yes ma'am. You'll need all the help you can get right?"

Murrue nods reluctantly, "Permission granted."

"**Ensign Badgiruel," Miyuki said as she and the bridge XO both ride the elevator.**

"Hmm?" Natarle looks at her at the corner of her eye.

"Thanks for giving me an excuse for getting me out there."

The young black hair officer shrugged, "I want to be there myself. I have to see what happened here myself."

Miyuki looks at her from the side, "You're not going to like what you'll see."

The twenty-four year old officer sighs, "I have to see the truth."

"You're a strong woman," Miyuki commented. "Now I can see why Ton-ton likes you."

Natarle blushes, "Thanks. You're pretty darn strong yourself."

Miyuki closes her eyes for a moment.

As the elevator door opens, she replies, "Maybe."

_But I wasn't strong to stop it_, she finishes mentally as they walk out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Junius City, PLANT Seven, Larange Point Five, Almost one year ago**

"Anderson, Webber," Miyuki barked, she wore the mask of Morrigan Legna, it was similar to Rau's except at the left side, it was decorated with a black angel holding a scythe and a red rose, she also had her hair dyed black and she wore red contact lenses.

"Take out as many ships as you can, do it together, don't go solo."

"Everyone else on me," She grins her ZGMF-515AS CGUE Assault type pulls out Morrigan's signature weapon, the "Todeschere", the Death scissors, it had been forged from the same metal of Lenneth's Dainslef spear in the Graveyard.

"Let's so 'em how outdated mobile armors are!"

"Yes sir!"

Her team closes in at a cluster of various alliance ships which ranged from 250 meter Nelson classes to 150 meter Drakes, which were guarded by an escort the Moebius mobile armors which didn't matter since they were all woefully equipped for combat against even ginns. Even though she had only met the men of her unit several hours ago, they all performed well, not sustaining any significant damage at all, whilst their enemy was being utterly decimated.

'Morrigan Legna' twirls her scythe as she cuts through several mobile armors with ease.

_This is ridiculous…, _She as she advances at several more armors. _Attacking a PLANT colony with just several ships and mobile armors? There aren't even any Zeroes out here… Are they crazy? And why here, they should know this side is the most heavily defended point…_

A transmission breaks her thoughts, "Commander Legna! A Moebius detachment managed to slip past the line! They're heading straight for Junius Seven!"

"Intercept it!" She ordered, heading back herself.

She and three ginns chased after the small group of mobile armors. They slowly began to pick them off one at a time, without them even trying to fight back. This leaves Legna perplexed, thought were racing in her mind

_Are these people on a suicide mission? Even if they manage to get their shots off, several Mobilearmor isn't enough to…_

That's when she realized that one of the mobile armors was configured differently, it was armed with the usual lineargun and missiles. Instead, it had four strange cylindrical objects attached to it.

At first, she had no idea what they were. But being a weapons engineer, she quickly realizes they were nuclear warheads.

_No! They can't seriously…! Don't they know their own people are in there?-!_

She hits a button on her panel, this jettisons most of her suit's assault shroud except for its thrusters. The cgue gains speed as it fires on that one armor.

The other Moebius pilots noted her suit's attacks and began blocking it shots for the nuclear armed mobile armors.

"Get out of my way!" Morrigan's cgue pulls out the Todeschere and slashes the regular Moebius armors to scrap metal. But as she did so, her target was getting closer to colony.

"I won't let you!" She pushes her well-maintained cgue's thrusters to their limit for one last, desperate attempt. It fires its machine gun over and over, but failed to take out on the mobile armor it was chasing.

The armor's pilot survives to attack range, he launches his deadly payload, which impacts into Junius Seven seconds later.

"Darren!-!" The tears almost formed instantly in her eyes.

He shot it dead center of the colony, its weakest point. Hitting there was like hitting the shaft of Heliopolis, it would break itself apart. The difference here was that Junius Seven didn't evacuate its citizens in the shelters until it was too late. And Heliopolis wasn't hitting by a nuclear weapon.

"_One death is tragedy, one million is just a statistic" – Joseph Stalin_

"_If we don't end war, war will end us." – H.G. Wells_

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**Pretty much the same place, present time**

The Basilisk and UN mobile units had began to form a defensive perimeter around the colony, while several others had went into the colony in mobilesuits and Mistral shuttles to inspect it. The Archangel was docked aside the Lead Zeppelin, as vital parts and ammunition was being transferred to it.

"How much longer?" Captain Ramius asked Crewman Romero Pai.

"Repairs to the ship are underway," the crewman replied. "All we need is eight hours to complete them and extract the ice and materials."

Just then, a transmission from the Lead Zeppelin appears on the main screen. A rather skinny looking man with dirty blonde hair and beard, and dull blue eyes appeared.

"Archangel," The man called adjusting his thick framed glasses as he did. "We've just loaded the last of the stuff Ol' Le St. Claire asked for."

She nods at him, "I like to thank you people for helping us."

The man shook he head. "Don't be, We're just doing business."

"Still, it's appreciated." She replied. "Excuse me for a moment, mister…"

"Hyneman," the man replied with a smile. "Adam Hyneman. Roger, over and out."

As Adam's image disappears from screen, Capt. Ramius presses a button on her panel. "How is the inspection proceeding, Ens. Badgiruel?"

**Inside the colony,**

"We've yet to find anything that appears useful." The black haired officer replied. "We split up with Lt. Col. Le Claire's group, they're checking another part of the colony." Miyuki walked beside her. "I'm going a little farther in… the facilities seem to be in near perfect condition at this point…"

"Roger that," the young captain replied. "Keep me posted."

Miyuki looked around, her head was spinning, her heart was racing, her breaths were fast and a bit shallow.

Natarle looks at her in the corner of eye, "You don't have to this you know. There's no point in forcing yourself to this."

"Neither do you," She replied.

Natarle sighs with exasperation, "Fine."

"I'm just trying to help," she muttered.

"I don't need any," Miyuki bluntly replied. "But thanks anyway."

She then hears the ensign chuckling, "What's so funny?"

"That's something Antonio would say." Natarle shook her head. "You two are so alike. It's scary."

Miyuki smirked, "We've been close to each other since we were kids. He's my big brother."

Her smirk turns into a grin as she looks at the ensign mischievously in the corner of his eye, "We were an item once back in our high school days."

The black haired woman shuddered, "Err… Just the though it is frightening… I wonder what of little monsters you would've have…"

Miyuki grins and raises an eyebrow, "Hey…"

Natarle chuckles, "As Anton would say, 'Just saying it how I see it.'"

"You've definitely spent time with him."

"I guess so." The two laughed quietly as they continued to scour around.

The former ZAFT shook her head also amused on how her mood had quickly changed, "Ensign Badgiruel."

Natarle looks at her, "Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

**The relative peace was suddenly shattered with a scream. **

Miyuki instantly recognized the voice, "Mir!"

Both women quickly move to where they last saw her. As they quickly pushed themselves down a hall, they were joined by Wynn.

"What was that about?-!" Wynn yelled.

"We don't know," Miyuki replied. "But we're about find out!"

The four find Mir huddled against Tolle who comforting her.

"What happened?" Wynn asked, as she and Miyuki check on the girl who seemed shook up.

Tolle answers her question by pointing at something behind them, they all turned.

Wynn gasps, "Damn…"

Both Natarle and Miyuki stared at what Tolle pointed at. With a pained look, Miyuki turns away with eyes closed. "Jesus…"

It was a cluster of dead bodies that floating together. Up to now, they haven't seen too many dead bodies floating around, largely because they probably floated away from the colony as it got to the debris belt. Their eyes were glazed over, they were reaching for the door of one of the shelters, floating in space like dolls posed in a surreal display.

Natarle kept her widened violet eyes on the bodies, unable to look away. The deceased ranged from male and female, young to old. That's when she saw it… a young woman, probably just as old as she was, holding a baby… just a couple of months old. The women held the little one tight, both had their eye closed with very peaceful expressions in their faces. It as though they had accepted their fates. It was almost like they were just a sleep.

"They're blocking the entrance to the shelter…" Tolle began as continued to hold Mir.

"They must have been trying to get in…" Natarle continued, her eyes still on the cluster of humanity. "… but the shelter was full…"

"Ensign, over here!" The Archangel's helmsman Arnold Neumann called from down the hall, he was accompanied by Luke and Kira. They were looking into another room.

"I'm coming!" Natarle responded quickly, floating towards them. She was followed by Wynn still shakened by the sight.

_If it's another cluster of bodies…_She that thought._ At least it won't get to me that bad…_

Oh, it was another bunch of bodies alright, but it's much worse and it will get to her.

"What is it?-!" She yelled as she peers into the room the two men and one teen simply stared at. If there was gravity, the flashlight she was holding would've fallen to the floor. She just stood, staring into the room. The bodies were floating just like in the last room… but they weren't reaching for the shelter door. Plenty of them held knives, shards of sharp glass, forks, any sharp object, which were thrust into another person's chest. Some have guns with them, that's when Natarle noted some had gunshots to their heads.

"W-What…" She was completely in a loss of words, "Happened…?"

"Looks like they committed group suicide…" Neumann replied, trying his best to be calm.

"Before they ran out of oxygen," Kira swallowed hard, finishing Neumann's sentence.

Wynn backed away, holding her throat so as she would scream. "Oh God…"

Natarle was faring far worse, she suddenly felt sick to stomach, she was beginning to feel dizzy. She was beginning to wish she didn't come. She was beginning to wish this was just a bad dream… no, a horrible nightmare. That any moment she would wake up and find herself in Antonio's bunk still in his arms.

"Wynn…" Luke began, the only one who seem to have kept his composure. "Remember what I said about my family a couple of days back?"

"Yeah…?" She meekly replied. "You said not much them were left after a year of feuding… Why?"

"Two years ago, I went back to my hometown just outside of Johannesburg . To try and save what was left of my family. I went my close uncle's family, he had been spared by the violence 'til then…"

The South African sighed, "But I was too late. I found him and most of his family, both wives, all his daughters and most of sons… dead. Only the nanny and my uncle's youngest son lived, they were hidden in a secret room, that's why they survived."

Luke stared at the long deceased sea of humanity. "The said that the men that came had forced the family to watch my uncle's four sons tortured to death. They threatened my uncle that they'll do the same to his wives and daughters if kill them himself… It was the ultimate insult to the man's despair…"

"I wonder what those Blue Cosmos bastards would react when they see this…" Miyuki said bitterly, just barely keeping herself under control.

The Archangel Inspection team, along with Wynn and Luke quickly resumed their work. As they did so, the tried their best to keep their emotions in check and do their job as best as they humanly could. They finished their inspection of the outer rim in several hours. The UN inspection team was still busy inspecting the inner sectors of the Plant.

**Archangel, women's washroom**

Miyuki roughly rubs water against her face. With her hands planted on the sink, she stared hard at herself at the mirror.

"All this, because you missed one measly mobile armor…" She shook her head. "God… What a mess…"

Just then, Ens. Natarle Badgiruel bursts into the room, she makes a beeline to the sink next to Miyuki. She then began to throw up, everything that was in stomach for the last few hours went through her mouth. After several moments of pretty much spilling her guts out, she too looks at the mirror.

Miyuki noted she looked as though, she was staring at something far away, she was oblivious of her and pretty much everything around her. This was the case for several moments, until Natarle finally snaps. With an anguished scream, she punches the mirror with her right fist, smashing it completely. Miyuki quickly goes to the door to lock it. As she did so, Natarle continued to punch the spot where she had broken the glass. Her hand was cut and bruised badly, but she didn't care, all she wanted was to just hit the wall as hard she could. Miyuki grabs her from behind, restraining her as best she could before the ensign could hurt herself even more. Despite being slightly bigger and stronger than the XO, she was having a difficult time as Natarle struggled violently. The two wrestled each other for several moments, finally she calms down, much to Miyuki's relief.

Natarle breathes hard, exhausted by her furious tirade. What happened next didn't surprise Miyuki, she broke down in tears. As the officer's knees gave way, Miyuki kneels. They settled down on the floor, as continued to cry. Miyuki eases her hold the woman, patting her softly.

"How…?" Natarle whispered, "How could my own country and military do that…? Why…? How could they…?"

"I don't know…" Miyuki replied with a sigh. "It boggles my mind too."

"I…" Natarle just barely said amidst her sobbing. "I'm sorry… for what we did… I'm so sorry…"

Miyuki closes her eyes hugging the younger woman gently as she continued to weep. "I forgiven you all a long time ago."

**In the Archangel's hangar,**

2nd Lt. Janus Llewelyn "Wynn" Aelia inspects her mobilesuit, several minutes before she was to scramble. She wasn't quite like her usual active self. The images of the Junius Seven victims were playing in her head, casting doubts on what she doing now.

_Why am I in the UNAAF? Shouldn't I be fighting too? Why am I defending the Earth Alliance?_

"Hey LT," Luke's voice breaks her from her brooding. "We're to scramble in four minutes."

She nods, a little irresolute. "Right…"

As he was reading her mind, he continues to her surprise. "Don't let it get to you too much, lieutenant. That's what happens in war."

She blinked, "How did you…?"

"I've been there, when I was dealing with family's feud." The South African replied, "I guess you're also asking yourself, 'why am I here?' Right?"

The young blonde haired coordinator nods, somewhat bewildered by Luke's dead accuracy of what she thinking.

"You're doing the right thing Wynn," He continues. "Just go with the path you've chosen to take. No one should ever tell how you should go."

Wynn nods managing to smile, "I didn't know you were a good analyst."

Luke shrugs sheepishly, "A handy little skill I picked up from the Spartans."

The young teenage girl watches as the young black walked off. "Thanks Luke."

**Infirmary,**

Lt. Col. Naomi Fletcher, checks the blood pressure of her patient, Lt. Daniel Spear. He had been under observation as he rested.

The doctor examines the gauge, "Hmm… You blood pressure's a little higher than normal."

She begins to take the stethoscope and pressure gauge off the man's arm. "You're fit for duty, Lieutenant. But don't do anything too strenuous for now."

"Sure thing doc," Daniel rolls down the shirt sleeve of the arm Naomi used. He then says, "Do you like outdoor dinners?"

She looks at him with her wide lavender eyes, "Are you suggesting a date?"

Dan simply shrugs, "Maybe… So, yes or no?"

Naomi laughs, shaking head with bewilderment. "You're as blunt as butter knife… I'd love to."

Daniel grins as she accepted, "Alright, I'm still ironing out the reservations… but as soon as we get this done. We'll do that."

Her smile widens, "I'll be looking forward for it. So work yourself too hard. I won't forgive you if you don't."

Daniel chuckles, "Don't worry. I won't."

**"No way! You can't be serious!" **

Kira protested, staring at Archangel's XO in disbelief; the reason wasn't hard to grasp. Their inspection of Junius Seven's ruins had revealed water, more than what they need in fact. However, he felt it was wrong to take it from the shattered colony, his opinion was shared by his classmates.

"There's close to a hundred million tons of ice over there," Natarle pointed out. "And we're running very low on water, remember; that's the reason we came here in the first place."

"You're kidding!" Kira stares at the woman with disbelief. "You saw it for yourself, Ms. Natarle! That PLANT is where hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. And yet you-!"

"It's the only water we've been able to locate," Ramius interjected, trying her best to break up the argument.

"Hey, _nobody's_ jumping for joy over this one," La Flaga said grimly. "I don't hear folks shouting 'Hurray, water!'"

"Lieutenant..."

"Hey, we're the ones alive here, guys! And if we have to, we'll do what it takes to continue to live!" He looked over at the Wynn, Luke and Miyuki as they quietly stood on the rear of the bridge merely observing them. "And what do _you_ guys think about this?"

"I don't know about you and your classmates, Kira," Wynn said coolly. "As for what I think..."  
She sighed, "The civilians that are alive should be our priority. Keep in mind, we close to a couple hundred Heliopolis refugees onboard. I don't want to sound harsh but, the dead don't have any use for water."

Kira nodded reluctantly at his friend's down-to-earth view on the matter. "I guess you're right. But still..."

"I know how you feel Kira…" Miyuki said quietly. "My husband died in there…"

Kira looked away, remembering how much pain this was also giving to her.

"But right now," She continued with a firm voice. "Our survival is what we should be focused on."

"Nature gives as much as we take from her," Luke added. "Water isn't the property of any individual people, kid. It belongs to all of us."

"Believe me, Kira," Wynn looked at her friend. "I've seen people do worse."

Her friend silently nods, taking her word for it.

"Well, Sempai," Miyuki looks at the Captain. "I guess we'd better get cracking."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Outside of Aprilius One, several kilometers away. **

The UN 2nd fleet Agares carrier group led by Capt. Anya Une Samsonov escorts the ZAFT ship Gagarin which was captured in the battle of Heliopolis.

"Chavez," The dark brunette captain calls. "Has Zaft answered our transmission yet?"

"They just did ma'am," the communications officer replied. "They've authorized us but they want only several mobile escorts on the ship."

Une nods, "Richards take over."

The ship's XO sighs, "Yes ma'am, but please, do be careful?"

The captain smirks, "I'll try."

**The Gagarin slowly approaches the waiting ZAFT perimeter guard**

It was escorted by the Tallgeese and a mix of Leos and Ginns. Une warily keeps an eye of the guard unit they were meeting which was a small force of ten ginns. Even if they were a neutral faction, exchanges like this were always tense, there was always that chance that a trigger happy pilot will shoot at them, prompting their side to return fire, therefore causing an international incident.

Things were going smoothly, the shuttle that was carrying the Gagarin's crew was handed to ZAFT without a hitch. But as the Gagarin was being handed, Richards calls the Captain.

"Ma'am, ZAFT says they're detecting an unidentified drake-class close to Aprilius One, they're asking if it's one of ours."

Une frowns, "Lt. Comm. Halberton didn't know we're here… Tell them it's not one of ours! It's an Alliance attack!"

"Yes ma'am…" Richards saw that the Tallgeese was boosting off. "Captain! What are you doing?-!"

"My job, sorry Richards, I'll make it up to you later." She replied as the Tallgeese passes through the perimeter of ZAFT mobilesuits. Apparently, they were new recruits since none of them even attempted to fire their machineguns at him, bewildered by the suit's sudden action. They try to catch up but the Tallgeese was too fast. It was equipped with additional thrusters, similar to that of a GINN High Maneuver.

"**What!"**

Visch scowled as he yells at his cellphone with Marvin Hayes on the other end. "The Alliance is attacking here?-!"

"Roger that sir," the young former sword replied, "Two Drakes with twenty-four crabs." Crab was ZAFT slang for a basic Moebius mobile armor.

"How the hell did they get passed the perimeter?-!" Eileen who was listening in demanded.

"Huh?-! Ellie…?" He decides not ask, "They've slip in because they identified themselves as with the UNAAF. Security didn't find anything funny with until they got real close to Aprilius One."

Visch clicks his tongue, as he dashes off. "Damn bastards…"

"Visch!" Eileen yells as she chases him, worried he was about to do something stupid. "Where're you going?-!"

"To my suit," he replied.

"What?" Eileen frowned, "Isn't the Ursa Major in Maius City?"

The one-eye soldier looks at her with a plain look, "Who said anything about the Ursa Major."

Eileen raises an eyebrow, "Huh? Then what are you…?"

"I flew from Maius in my cgue," He said simply.

She looks at him, flabbergasted, not believing him, "You what?-!"

He shrugged, "Thought it'd save time."

**They entered Aprilius one's many military docking areas,**

Sure enough, there in the corner next to a pair of unused ginns, there was Visch's cgue. He enters quickly not bothering to change to his normal suit and closes the cockpit. As he began activating his systems, he notices Eileen going into the ginn next him.

"Ellie, don't." Visch orders her, "You haven't fought in an engagement for almost year now. You're too important for the PLANTs to…"

Eileen's Ginn points its machinegun it Visch's cockpit. The Zaft commander sighs, "… lose."

"Don't even try to keep me out of this," The council woman said calmly. "The Plants are my home now too, I can't just watch if I can help it. You know that."

Visch simply rolls his eyes, "Why am I not surprised at this... You're as bullheaded as ever Ellie. Fine, stick close to me then okay?"

"Copy that Thunder," She replied using his callsign.

Visch smirked as they walk toward the hangar gate.

**Whilst the Tallgeese cuts through space, making its way to Aprilius One and as Visch and Eileen make their way out of the hangar,**

Someone was already defending the colony. It was a lone mobilesuit, it looked similar to that of the Earth Alliance's G-Units. It and its armaments were similar to that of the Duel, two beamsabers, two CIWS, two beam sabers, a beamrifle and an anti-beam shield. Unlike the Duel, it was colored red, hence its name the Astray Red Frame. It had one addition weapon, added by the user of the suit. It was a katana called the Gerbera Straight.

"Damnit…" Its pilot cursed as his suit fires its CIWS at the incoming missiles aimed at Aprilius One. He wasn't able to intercept all of them so he blocks them with his shield. The impact damages the shield severely so he discards it. He fires his beam rifle at a one Moebius, blasting off its missiles and lineargun. He was about to do the same to another when notices a Moebius charging at him.

"Take this, space monster!" The pilot yelled as he uses his mobile armor itself as a weapon. He was too close for the Astray to avoid him.

"Looks like my luck's finally run out…" the red frame's pilot muttered as he braces for impact.

The mobile was about to hit, but did not get the result that it intended as its hit by a beam shot in the thrusters. The origin was the XMS-M1 Tallgeese which came out of nowhere.

"Look alive, Red Frame!" Une advised as she flies beside it, firing her 57mm. CIWS at incoming missiles.

"Sure, thanks." The red frame's pilot replied.

"Don't thank me yet," Une muttered as noted that one of the Drake-classes was positioning itself into range. "See that 150 meter moving on your right?"

"Yeah…"

"We have to take it out before it fires its missiles and torpedoes!" She charges at it, "Let's go!"

"Roger that!" The red frame follows. The mobile armors escorting the Drake-class quickly guessed their intentions and began attacking them on mass.

"Get out of my way!" red frame pilot yelled as she fires her beam rifle to make the mobile armors disperse. The red frame backs her up by using his CIWS at missiles aimed at them. The Drake-class looked so far away from them as they desperately push forward.

"No!" the red frame pilot yelled as the missiles and torpedoes fly pass them and toward the colony.

Anya gritted her teeth, "Too late…"

The ordinance gets within several meters of the colony, but don't make contact.

"Not today!" Eileen fires her machinegun to take out the missiles. While Visch brandishes his swords to cut the larger torpedoes in half. He then boosts at a cluster of missiles and torpedoes, several away from them, his cgue spins rapidly, like a buzz saw he cuts through them.

Une quickly gets back at the task at hand, resuming the charge of the Drake "Kid! I'll take left, you take right!"

"Right!" Both pilots fly toward the ship, the Tallgeese shoots the upper Igelstellung while the red frame takes out the lower. As they were in close range, the red frame draws out its katana and Tallgeese grab hold of its MB2 charges. With a loud cry, the red frame's pilot cuts the torpedoes and missile launcher from their mounts on the ship. The Tallgeese quickly plants its charges that were set with a three second timer, the launchers get blown off.

Eileen's ginn and Visch's red and black cgue flew alongside Une's Tallgeese and the red frame. Visch nods at the two other mobilesuits, "Not bad you two."

"You're not too shabby neither," Une replies.

"Thanks," The red frame's pilot follows. "You're pretty good yourself,"

"C'mon," Eileen boosts her ginn forward. "We still have trash to take out."

All four mobilesuits charge toward the remaining mobile armors. Visch draws Dusk and Dawn, The Tallgeese draws Sleipnir, a 14 meter long rapier, while the red frame tightens its grip on the Gerbera Straight.

Visch switches his swords to an underhand, he masterfully cuts the cockpits from the rest of its body. The Tallgeese thrusts its sword skillfully through critical power point of the mobile armor. The red frame cuts through several mobile armors with similar skill, cutting off the individual weapons of each Moebius. Eileen dodges and counters with her machinegun the missiles and torpedoes of the surviving Drake-class until finally she makes it into range for her melee weapon. The bridge of the Drake-class brace themselves for the devastating blow they expected to come.

The Former Sword yells out a kiai as she performs Iaido, the ancient art of the samurai to attack whilst drawing her sword. Instead of dealing a fatal blow, Eileen cuts off the upper Igelstellung CIWS with her initial cut. Then she goes at the port torpedo launchers and missile launchers, she continues on to do the same on the starboard side. She finishes off by taking out the bottom Igelstellung.

"So Visch," Eileen smirked. "How did I do for a girl who hasn't fought in a year?"

Visch grins ruefully, "Shockingly, you haven't lost your touch."

She smile satisfyingly, "You better believe it."

"Okay," Visch calls the others through visual communication seeing no one was shooting at them. "That's all of 'em."

The former Sword nod at the young Junk guildsman, "Good work you guys."

"It's my job," Capt. Samsonov answers.

"Thanks," The red frames replies. "The name's Lowe Guele by the way."

Visch blinks, remembering the name, "Visch… Visch Donahue."

"You're the one Hannah talked about."

Lowe cocks his head at him, "You know Hannah? How is she? What did ZAFT do to her?"

"Hannah's fine," Visch replies. "She's probably out in a couple of days."

The young teen close his eyes with relief, "I see, I'm glad."

"Hey kid," the one-eyed officer calls. "Thanks for helping her."

Lowe nods, "You're welcome."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Within hours, the Archangel's and Basilisk's Mistral shuttles were at work, escorted by the Strike and Headhunter. **

Antonio, most of his team and a good number of UN soldiers continued to explore the inner parts of the colony.

Mu, Jethro and Miyuki stayed behind on the ship, since someone had to man the bridge while everyone else was gone and Miyuki had to look after Elle.

Using various cutting tools, they began to separate sections of the ice, to be carried back to the ship.

It was slow going as it could be, but it didn't really bother Daniel though. As a sniper, he was an incredibly patient man, and took the opportunity to take a nap because he had very little sleep since he boarded the Archangel. When he did try to sleep, it was usual interrupted by an attack. But for now, it was unlikely ZAFT had already found them here, he thought and forces himself to relax, while keeping an ear open for the radio chatter, yet another skill he perfected as a long-time sniper.

"How's it going?" Murrue asked, from the Bridge.

"Okay so far, Ma'am," Chandra replied. "At this rate, we should be finished in another three hours or so; but we've only got enough ammo for one more run."

"Understood; it'll be enough."

Daniel opens one eye to take a look at his sensors. He deployed several detection probes to keep an eye on the area. Currently, everything looked fine.

He keyed his radio. "Kira, everything how's your end?" The Strike was covering just a half a klik to his right.

"So far," Kira answered, "Nothing to report."

Daniel notes a long yawn and smirks. "Boring eh? You have to get– hey… I'm picking up something close by... looks like a brewed shuttled. Do have a visual on it?"

Kira squinted, "Yeah, I see it. Looks like something hit it hard just recently, maybe yesterday. It says Silverwind on the hull."

The sniper raised eyebrow.

"Silverwind?" he mutters to himself, "Now why does that sound familiar…"

Daniel was about to order Kira to inspect it, but the probes picked up a heat signature. "Watch it, Kira, there's something else out here."

"I think I see what it is," Kira called he checks with his onboard computer to identified it. "A two-seater ginn? Reconnaissance type... but what's it doing way out here?"

Daniel frowned, "Does the ginn have an insignia on it?"

"Yeah, I think so…"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like a lightning bolt with a circle around it."

Daniel cursed under his breath, "That ginn's a Lurp, LRRP, Long-Range Recon Patrol, they usually scout for large ZAFT fleets. Kira, if they spot us, the Archangel, the Basilisk, or the shuttles, we can't let 'em go."

"I know…"

After a while, Kira spots something coming out of the destroyed shuttle. "Huh? Is that the pilot?"

Kira zooms in toward the person. The unknown figure boosts toward the ginn, whoever it was opens the cockpit and enters. Just before it entered, Kira notes the build of the pilot. "It's… a woman?-!"

Flashbacks of ginns he had destroyed earlier played in his mind. The thought had suddenly drained him, "That's right… people were inside those mobilesuits I destroyed before…"

Kira had forgotten he was connected with Daniel, who was listening to him.

"Kid," he calmly called. "Don't zone out on me now. I know it's hard for you. Though I may not really understand how you feel, keep this in mind, you're friends may die soon if that recon ginn gets away."

"Right," Kira trained the Strike beam rifle at the recon ginn, praying for it to move away before it saw anything that would force its own destruction.

"Don't make me shoot you down… I don't want to kill anymore… Come on, go away, please..."

"Listen to the kid," Daniel muttered training his sniper rifle at it as soon as he got in range. "You don't have to die out here. Just go away…"

As if in answer to the Strike pilot's pleas, the GINN turned and began moving away... and then a Mistral rose into view, carrying a chunk of ice directly into the ginn's field of view.

Kira stared in horror, "Idiot! What are you doing?-!"

Daniel cursed, "Are you guys blind!"

Kira watch helplessly was the ginn goes at the mistral, "Stop! Please don't!"

The Strike raises its beam rifle, unseen by the ZAFT machine, and Kira's finger slowly tighten on the trigger. "No... I... I have to..."

Daniel sighs, closing his eyes, "Do it."

Kuzzey and Chandra, in the shuttle, cried out as the ginn opened fire, missing with the first shot and then striking the fragile Mistral with the second.

That was the catalyst needed to prod Kira into action. The Strike's beam rifle opened fire, at the same time the Headhunter fires at the ZAFT unit, sending a 175mm. linear accelerated projectile.

The concentrate fire from both sources struck the GINN at virtually at the same spot, on chest. Sending in back-spinning, seconds latter, it explodes.

**Inside the inner parts of Junius Seven**

Antonio's unit continues to inspect, the damage caused by the nuclear blast. They were accompanied by Jamie Savage and a newcomer, Amon Rochefort.

He had heard about the guy, a young top ZAFT ace about twenty-six or so, like many regular soldiers within the PLANT organization, he fought in the Eurasian-Pacific War. He was rumored to have destroyed thirty-seven mobile armors in the Battle of Jachin Due. He was one of ZAFT's trump cards after members of the Swords. That was, until he had gone AWOL.

"Funny seeing you in a Junk Guild posse," Antonio commented as he and the ZAFT ace searched a room together. "Shouldn't you be defending the ZAFT homeland or something?"

The black haired and brown eyed soldier doesn't say anything, he eventually answers. "That was my intent. But…"

"Things have changed." He closes his eyes. "I, a protector, am no longer needed in ZAFT."

Antonio nods, understanding the meaning within the lines, with the current state of the war. ZAFT was hardly fighting a defensive war anymore. They would've ended it after the April fool's Crisis if they wanted to. But for some reason they began deploying forces even more onto Earth.

"Why don't you join up with us them?" The Spartan of Waves asked, "We could use talent like you."

Amon looks at him for a moment, then goes back inspecting a downed terminal, "I'll think about it."

He patches in with his suit's comlink, "Jamie, I think I found something you could use."

"What is it?" Jamie asked.

"A few terms, the hard drives seem to be intact."

"I'll be there."

"Commander Le St. Claire!" Frank called, "We found the Perry!"

"What's its state?-!" Antonio yelled sharply. The Perry was the Earth forces Nelson-class that had went to the PLANT prior to bloody valentine. It and two Drake class escorts, Decatur and Green, carried a diplomatic group that was supposed to have met with PLANT and ZAFT negotiators to hammer out a deal. The group had gone missing after the February 14th incident. News of their fate was unknown, the Plants and Zaft weren't divulging anything, even to the UN.

"She's looking pretty bad… looks like the ship got crushed with something. We don't see the Decatur and the Green, but I don't think they're far from here."

"Keep me posted," Antonio replied, he sighs as he lets go of the transmit button of his comlink. "The Diplomatic group is missing no longer…"

"Looks like you guys found something too," Amon commented.

He nods, "You can say that."

Just as he said that, Michael calls him. "Yo! Ant!" he yelled, "Get over here!"

"Boss!" Jethro followed, "C'mere! Quick!"

Antonio quickly moves to another section, two floors from where he was.

"What?-!" Antonio replied as he quickly floats into the room.

Jethro and Michael didn't turn to see him, they just kept looking straight head. Michael raises his hand to point, "Check it out yourself."

He turn to that direction to see a body of a young man probably in his late twenties, he had blue-green eyes and blonde hair. Antonio's eyes widened, quickly realizing who it was. "Jesus Christ… Darren…"

**In a blink of an eye, the GINN was gone.**

Kira stared at where it had been, oblivious to the radio calls from the shuttle they had just rescued.

"Thanks, guys," Kuzzey called, sounding as though all the blood in his body had been replaced by adrenaline.

"We owe you one," Chandra added. "Thanks."

"Hey!" Mu called from the Archangel. "What happened?"

Kira shut off his receiver, refusing to hear anything at all, and pounded his fists against his displays. "Why?" he shouted, unheard in his cockpit.

Daniel too ignores the calls coming from the Archangel, "Damnit, you didn't have to die here, in a place like this…" Two more lives taken, he thought. How many more before this war is ended?

He then stared at the Strike, he could imagine what the pilot was going through. The boy never wanted a part of this Godforsaken war.

Despite his impeccable talent with piloting mobilesuits, he was still a kid, doing things he should never be doing. To him, it was cowardly to send children to do soldier's work.

"That's war for you, Danny boy, you know that," Daniel said to himself quietly. "You knew that the day you became a sniper, you seen insanity like this happen all the time, don't wash out over yourself now."

The sniper stared at the Strike floating motionlessly, "I guess that's life, but…" He sighs, "How can life be so cruel?"

He then turns his attention to the Mistral they had just saved. "What the Sam hill were you two thinking?-! Didn't you see that frigging ginn out in the open?-!"

"Uh… Well..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Daniel snapped. "Now get your asses back into the Archangel before you hurt yourselves! Morons!"

Kira, meanwhile, finally looked up through blurry eyes, as something on his instrument panel beeped. "Huh...? What a minute, that's a lifepod... But what's it doing out here, in the Debris Belt?"

Not thinking to tell anyone what he was up to, he guided his machine toward the source of the distress signal.

He turns on his radio, "Dan, I found something…"

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**In a ZAFT shuttle bound for September City,**

Eileen looks at corner is her eye. Visch angrily brooded in his seat. The man didn't react well when he found out about the Junk Guild crew's passports being revoked. He was so furious that he went and punched the immigration officer who did the act. She wasn't happy about it herself. Especially when she found out what a certain Junk Guildsman named Lowe Guele, had done for the PLANTs. And yet ZAFT shows its gratitude by punishing them for protecting the PLANT capital. Fortunately, the UNAAF captain who assisted didn't meet a similar outcome, however she was still given a warning and a rather cold shoulder.

The young council woman sighs, shaking her head. It may have been just a case of war paranoia, but red tape and covering ones ass was getting more and more common place within ZAFT. Leeches, cowards and fools were taking up the higher ranks by political favor, money and brown-nosing. People who hardly even deserved a commission got one, who'd careless of the men serving under them, who shamelessly go up the ranks at the expense of others and their lives. She hated people like that, it was an idiot's action that cost Visch his eye. It was the action of fools that fated Junius Seven.

The Zodiac Alliance Freedom Treaty had some of the finest intelligence groups ever formed, vastly superior to that of the Earth Alliance's. A day after the bombing in Copernicus, a small detachment of ZAFT Army Intelligence had uncovered intelligence of possible plans of the alliance to use nuclear weapon against ZAFT installations. The information would have safety measures against such attacks and prepared the PLANTs for possible direct attack if it was delivered immediately to high command. Sadly, this information only came two days after Bloody Valentine. Rival intelligence groups had blocked the information from reaching on time by placing barriers of red tape, clogging it in the cogs of ZAFT bureaucracy. There was an inquiry into the matter by the high command and the supreme council, but no one was ever charged. A quarter million people perish because of jealousy and selfish desire. And yet it's those same people who were leading ZAFT's troops, the PLANT's children.

That's when Eileen remembered one of the reasons why she joined politics in the first place, she wanted to change all that. One of her goals to reform ZAFT, reorganize it into a more professional force that would more effectively serve the Plants. Despite her position as being the diplomatic committee chairman, Eileen Canaver was surprisingly deeply involved with reforms regarding the ZAFT military, in fact slightly even more than anyone in the entire Defense Committee. Her reforms ranged from the revising of impractical regulations, the lengthening of basic military training and improvement of all ZAFT standards. By the end 70CE, most of the politically appointed officers were reexamined and were either reassigned, retrained or were discharged from ZAFT all together. Of course there were people who through the cracks, but she wasn't going to let up, especially since ZAFT was charged with defending the Plants.

Eileen again looks beside her at Visch, who seen to have calmed down a bit. He was looking outside at the earth.

"Still angry?" She whispered, resting her head against him.

He sighs placing his arm around her, "A bit."

The man rubbed his one good eye, as he strokes her hair gently. It was old news that she and Visch were a couple. They have always been close since they've met back in 67CE, though they haven't quite tied the knot. The local paparazzi themselves weren't really sure what to make of them. Their relationship was thankfully spared by usual political gossip, largely because it was very legitimate, absolutely immaculate.

"Damn idiots…" Visch muttered.

Eileen presses herself even more, "Don't let those fools get to you too much. That Junk Guildsman didn't have any hard feelings after that."

"I know…" He sinks into his chair, finally giving in to his mental exhaustion. "I just can't help but feel that ZAFT was ungrateful…"

"It might just be war paranoia," She tries to comfort him, although she wasn't completely convinced that was the case. "You know how people in war."

"Yeah…" Visch wasn't convinced himself. "I guess…"

"Say Ellie…" Visch continues, "Can I stay in your place for tonight…?"

Eileen was a little taken aback by this, "W-Why on earth for?"

The Zaft pilot shrugged, "Not much, just maybe doing a little catch up with you

Uh… sure… it's no problem… I'm on leave after all."

Visch blinked, "You are?"

She quickly smiles, mentally thanking Siegel Clyne. "Yeah… Quite a coincidence huh?"

"So… what would you like me to cook?" Eileen asked, her exhaustion seemed to have vanished. "Fillet? Steak? Or maybe some of old ramen I used to make?"

Visch smiles, "Yeah… couple that with some beers that would be nice. Maybe we can have a little friendly spar like old times sake…"

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**Things back at the Junius Seven remains were a lot less cheerful and a lot more serious**

The Strike and Headhunter had dragged its cargo back to the Archangel. The officers, Heliopolis volunteers, UN personnel and several of the crew gathered in front of the lifepod, while Murdoch worked at its hatch controls.

Natarle shook her head in a mix of exasperation and rueful amusement.

"You sure have a talent for retrieving things other people have left behind," she told Kira. "Maybe you should join the Junk Guild."

"Jamie and Adam would love to have you in his team," Frank added.

Kira blinked, but said nothing, his attention was focused on the lifepod.

"Any idea who's in that thing?" Mu asked former ZAFT pilots, Miyuki and Wynn, who stood next to him.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Miyuki acknowledged, a little wary if whoever was in there would recognize her.

"All I know is, when high command decides to send a Lurp recon ginn for a single, it's usually high profile personage onboard. It maybe a representative or minister from the Council, if I remember right, my sources in ZAFT said that there was supposed to be an inspection group coming here to check out the Junius Seven ruins."

Natarle stares at her sharply, "You've been communicating with ZAFT?"

Miyuki stares her down, "That was back in Heliopolis, Ensign."

Murrue shook her head, bracing herself for another confrontation.

"And they were working so well together…" Murrue muttered.

However, to her surprise, the ensign nods begrudgingly, "I'll let it go this time…"

The former ZAFT elite nods back, "Thanks."

Murrue blinks in surprise, _Wha–?_

Wynn clears her throat and continuing where Miyuki left off. "We can usually tell who it is depending on the shuttles, high profiled officials in ZAFT especially the representatives have ships and even fleets assigned to them."

"Well," Daniel spoke out, "If it'll help, the name of the shuttle was Silverwind."

Both Wynn and Miyuki look at him with astonished faces.

Daniel notes the reaction, "What?"

"Did you say…?" Wynn was about to say.

She wasn't able to finish the question.

"Okay," Murdoch called. "I think I got it, stand back, everybody."

The UN guards and the Archangel's own security unit raising their rifles, everybody else got ready for a potentially violent encounter. They were ready for whatever might come out of there... or so they thought.

The hatch opened, and to the surprise of almost everyone present, a pink ball floated out, muttering unintelligibly at the world in general.

Everyone stared at it blankly, and then looked among at each other in confusion. The Archangel's officers turn to the former ZAFT pilots; but find that Miyuki was gone and Wynn was walking toward it.

She catches the thing, which seem recognize the blonde pilot as it begins to greet her.

"Hey Winnie! Hey Winnie!"

"Don't call me that," she growled. "If you know what's good for you."

The pink ball immediately complied by silencing itself.

Their attention snapped back to the lifepod, as a voice spoke. "Thank you! Your assistance is very much appreciated!"

They stared as a pink-haired teenage girl drifted out of the pod. Janus Llewelyn Aelia's jaw dropped for couple of seconds, then she snapped to attention and salutes… still holding the ball with the other hand.

Mu glanced at her in surprise. "You know her, Wynn?"

She looks at the older pilot, "I ought to, she personally presented my silver star of Sirius, back during the 69 blockade."

He reels back in surprise, and gazes back to the pink-haired girl, whose uncontrolled movement through the air had been stopped by Kira, who caught hold of her hand.

"Thank you," she said, with a grateful smile,

She turned to look at the assembled crew, instantly recognizing one face, "Wynn! I'm quite surprised to see you."

Wynn smiles lamely, lowering her salute, "Hey there Lacus, it's been a while, so how's your dad?"

"Oh he's doing well, but his work has been stressful as of late."

Wynn nods, "Understandable, especially with the war."

She glanced around again. "So, this is a ZAFT vessel?"

2nd Lt. Aelia stared at the ceiling for a moment, wondering why, of all the people in ZAFT, she in particular had to be out here. _Why couldn't it be Jeremy Maxwell, Herman Gould, Louise Leitner or any other jerk in office I don't like…?_

"No, Miss Lacus," She replied. "I'm afraid it isn't. I'm afraid it's a long story, but this ship belongs to the Earth Forces."

Now, she was clearly confused and a bit scared. "Oh dear…Umm... but aren't you with the UN forces?"

"She still is," Kira told her awkwardly. "But you're safe now. Uh... welcome."

Mu looked at the UN pilot. "Just who the heck is she, Wynn?"

"She, Lieutenant Flaga," Wynn sighed, "is Lacus Clyne, one of the most revered figures in the PLANTs. I know her personally, she's close friend of mine since we were in middle school. And like I said, she presented the silver star of Sirius to me and I used to be her personal bodyguard."

Natarle was stunned when she heard Wynn mention her name, but does not say anything until she finishes.

"L-Lacus Clyne? Related to Siegel Clyne, Supreme Chairman of the ZAFT Supreme council?-!"

Wynn nods with a dimpled smirk, "Correct Ensign. Badgiruel, the very same."

Mu looks at Kira, and comments to Murrue, "Looks like the kid brought in a new headache for us."

Murrue nods helplessly, "Looks that way."

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**Patrick Zala's study, Zala residence, December City**

Patrick Zala sits quietly behind his desk, eyes numbly scanning the door. With his son, Athrun, gone fighting in the war was living alone. People usually visited the place largely for professional reasons, not very many came personally. But that wasn't always the case, even for a while after Bloody Valentine when he lost his wife.

He pulls the lowest drawer of his desk, he sticks his into it and takes something. It was Miyuki's glasses, they same ones that flew off her after he hit her.

Even after he had lost his wife, he had her. She was the one who comforted him despite her own sorrow and pain. He lifts his head catching something in the corner of his eye. There she stood, wearing a white officer's uniform.

"That speech of yours was a little too rough for me, sir. I understand you were trying to hammer a point, but you didn't have to smack the table that badly to deliver it." She leaned in and winked. "But, it was for _her_, right?"

He ignored her, and busying himself by looking at the status reports of the new mobilesuit projects, and that of GENESIS. When, he finally glances up again to where she was standing . . . no one was there. Nothing was ever there.

Patrick closed his eyes, and sighs loudly. He played along—half-heartedly.

"What makes you think it was for _her_?" That's what he would have said, if it was truly her.

He got used to them by now, those bits of her and his wife. At the beginning, he saw them everywhere he went, almost tormenting him with their warm smiles and gentle eyes. As weeks went by, they appeared less and less, as he tells himself it was only his mind running wild, memories mixed with dreams, his longings and yearnings forcing themselves into reality.

Getting rid of mementos helped, every item that had any significant memory of them was placed in the cellar, basement, and attic or sold. He stowed away every picture of them, keeping them all under lock and key.

The few exceptions were Miyuki's glasses and Lenore's white rose brooch, he couldn't shut himself from them completely, and he still wanted to see them, even just for a little while. He smiles sadly after her brief appearance. Patrick then buries his face in his hands. The pain had reached the point where it was unbearable almost all the time. He was walking on the edge, all it took was one good nudge for to fall in.

"Just a little longer, Lenore… Yuki…" he whispers to himself with a strange twisted smile. "It won't be long till GENESIS will wipe them all out… And we shall all be free."

**Training room, Canaver Residence, September Four,**

"Mumph!" Eileen's cry was muffled as she met face first with the tatami mat. Being flipped over for the past few hours was not the way she wanted to spend her Sunday afternoons.

_Friendly spar he says…_ She muttered mentally.

"Come on, Ellie. Let's try again."

She tried to remain composed, a tough feat actually, against this brash and head strong, one-eyed blonde who didn't even have the grace to help her up. Of course logic would told her that her opponent wouldn't need to and she wasn't some fragile china that would break on contact, however, she really wished that Visch would've been more considerate.

She stood up, straightened her gi and readied herself for the next attack. Visch was relentless, he had to be. The ZAFT commander charged almost without warning, putting Eileen into the defensive. Punches thrown were effectively deflected, something Eileen had learnt the hard way in the past few hours. She returned a few attacks that were very well placed, but generally, Visch was the one on top. Of all the Swords, she was by the far the most passive, Miyuki took her into the team more on her intelligence and interrogation background.

She was a martial arts practitioner, a 3rd degree or San-dan black belt in karate and she wore a hakama in aikido like she was now, but her tight schedule in the Supreme Council didn't allow her to practice regularly as she used and wanted to. Eileen had gone for some self-defense classes and did practice from time to time. Of course, this was not enough, especially by the Swords' standards.

Visch on the other hand obviously had not skimped his practice since the disbanding of the Swords. He was a freeform martial artist specializing in shootfighting and sambo, he was also the leading authority in the Plants when it came to Kravmaga.

He balls his right fist tightly, making his knuckles crack as he did. Eileen winces as he smirks at her, letting her know he was enjoying this. She glares at him, having the right mind to assign him to homeland defense duty, which was the most stupefying, dull assignment for a soldier like him. They began to circle each other warily when their previous attacks failed.

It was now a matter of who would make the first move. Visch with his impatient nature was strangely not rushing in, instead he looked very calm and in control of himself.

That left no weaknesses for her to exploit, unless she decided to create one herself.

"Visch, do you find me attractive?"

Shocked, the Eurasian-Pacific war veteran dropped his defense slightly, his eyes blinked with disbelief that virtuous old Eileen would ask him a question like that. To top it off, there was a faint blush on his ears and cheeks.

The momentary lapse of control was all that Eileen needed. She pushed forward suddenly and was rewarded with a firm connect against Visch's torso.

She would have expected the man to fall but he didn't. Visch seemed to have absorbed the blow. If not for a mutter of pain that had escaped Visch's mouth, she was sure that her best punch didn't even have an impact on her partner.

The one thing that could distinguish between a good martial artist and a bad one was in the person's ability to recover. Somehow, Visch got a firm grip on Eileen's gi and flipped her over in a judo fashion. Eileen could almost see her old sensei in aikido shaking his head in shame.

Eileen, not being one to go down alone. On her way southwards, she too managed to get a piece of Visch's gi and with a pull, the soldier lost his balance and landed squarely against the soft body of the council woman and diplomatic chairman.

Fortunately, the impact was minimized when Visch managed to get her hand in place to support some of his weight.

"Oof!"

"Are you alright?" The concern was clearly evident on Visch's face.

With such close proximity, Eileen suddenly felt very hot.

And since she didn't answer, Visch followed up with another question. "Do I need to get a doctor?"

This was not the circumstance that she would envision Visch on top against her. But it didn't mean that it didn't feel as nice.

With a throaty reply, she managed to appease Visch's worries. "I'm fine. Don't you worry."

In his desire to learn of Eileen's condition, Visch was still pressed up against the supple body beneath him. And now that his worries were unfounded, he became very aware of how their bodies touched. It was a pleasant feeling, too pleasant in fact, such that he became unwilling to move from this present position.

It wasn't long before he was caught by the deep blue eyes of his partner's.

Wordless exchanges played back and forth, of love and longings. After months of suppressing his feelings, he felt them all emerging at once. It was overwhelming to say the least, the gravity of his own emotions kept him from avoiding the inevitable. Everything became so clear at that moment. Visch Donahue, ZAFT's Wild Thunder, was in love, undeniably so.

The silence was unbearable and pleasant at the same time. He didn't know what to say, couldn't speak even if his life depended on it. His mouth was dry, his mind and soul sucked in by the beauty and radiance beneath him.

He didn't know that he was moving but when he realized it, he was drawing himself closer and closer towards Eileen, an inch away from meeting that inviting pair of lips. Eileen was so close, it would be so easy to close the distance between them. It was all so tempting. He could feel Eileen's warm breath against his face, sending his heart into frenzy and his brain on overdrive. His own breaths had become shallower, as if he was afraid to breathe, fearing that he would ruin the moment.

But he was too far-gone, like an empty shell left only with an uncontrollable desire to caress those soft lips. In that one moment, nothing else mattered; not the war, not the Earth Alliance, not ZAFT, not Patrick Zala, not the council, not even the Plants. It was all about them and what they wished and desired. Everything else faded to the void.

Finally, Visch parted his lips slightly and brushed softly against his long time friend and once in a time teammate. The fleeting pleasure was made all the more sweeter with the release from the steady culmination of the growing anticipation that they had made. Gently, they met again and again, butterfly kisses that sent their hearts to heights thought impossible.

But they didn't stop there.

Meeting Eileen's eyes once more, Visch deepened the kiss which would forever seal their fates. And for that moment, they ceased to exist separately in this reality, their souls entwined to the end of time.

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**A/N:** Heh, I love using minor characters… they're so much flexible compared to the main cast. But I think I made Ol' Siegel Clyne a bit OOC and I think I made Patrick more cuckoo than he already is. I'm know the little –cough– scenes I placed here are little too much... for my standards in regular fiction work anyway, its a little light compared to my lemon writing (yes I also do lemons). I edited them quite a bit by the way.

And I finally got to explain my why the UN still exists. Danica's sacrifice is saving plenty of lives so far… And the bits I got from the unofficial novel are sure making things a little more interesting. Damn, the taste of the reality of what happened in Junius Seven sure hit Natarle pretty hard. That part where she snaps from an account of a Vietnam War veteran when he can back to "The World" as the boys from Vietnam would call civilian life after a year in hell.

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**Glossary**

**Kravmaga **– A combat system of based on Israeli military hand-to-hand combat methodologies, a popular type of martial training system employed by the U.S. Navy Seals and the Russian Spetnats.

**Hakama** – a pair of loose fitting pants used by immediate to expert practitioners of martial arts such as kendo and aikido.

**ECM** – Electronic Counter Measure, a method or device used to counter act any electronic communication and attack.

**RDX** – A powerful high explosive, used extensively in military munitions around the world.


	13. Phase10: Battleground of the Fallen

**A/N: **I was wondering about some of you guys said about fic being done, that when I realized my fic's status was "complete". I only noticed it when I was posting this chapter. I'm such a moron sometimes… shakes head

Well anyway, time to settle things in Junius Seven and get on with the story. Hope you folks like it.

**Phase 10: Battleground of the Fallen**

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**The space debris belt,**** Captain's Office, Archangel**

"So you're really Siegel Clyne's daughter?" Mu asked, still a little taken aback by the fact.

The pink haired girl nodded. "Yes, I am. You've heard of my father, then?"

The Hawk of Endymion gave Wynn an incredulous glance, who merely shrugged awkwardly, this apparent innocence was usual for the girl.

_It was her idea,_ Wynn replied mentally, There's more to her than what meets the eye... She was surprised that most people actually believe she's that naïve. Lacus Clyne was more than aware of the realities people in the world are facing.

"Yes, we have," Murrue said, answering Lacus' question. "After all, the Earth Forces makes a habit of keeping an eye on what the PLANTs have to say."

"So," Natarle asked, "Just what were you doing all the way out _here,_ of all places? I'd have thought someone like you would be in the PLANTs, this _is_ a war, after all."

"Well," Lacus began, "as you know, it's been nearly one year since the Bloody Valentine Tragedy, in which Junius Seven was destroyed and over two hundred thousand people lost their lives. I was sent here on a preliminary survey, preparatory to a proper memorial ceremony."

"So how did you come to be in an escape pod?" Mu's brow furrowed. "I mean, if your ship had just encountered debris, one would think there'd be more lifepods out there."

Lacus sighed. "While we were beginning our survey, an Earth Forces vessel came alongside us, and demanded that we let them board for some kind of inspection. I saw no harm in it, since we had nothing to hide, so I permitted it. But... they wouldn't believe we were unarmed. The leader kept insisting we were a ZAFT vessel, and finally the arguing led to shooting, and a crew member shoved me into a lifepod. After that, I merely drifted until your machine found me." She looked anxiously at the deck. "I do hope that everything has calmed down, and that everyone is all right."

Capt. Ramius and Lt. Col. Naomi Fletcher, who was in command since Antonio was still in Junius Seven, looks at Wynn.

Janus Aelia shook her head, for now, not to burden her friend with the knowledge that Silverwind had been reduced to scrap.

Murrue nods. "I see. Well, Miss Lacus, I'm sorry to hear about what happened; I'd be the first to admit that... not everyone in the Earth Forces is disposed towards giving PLANT delegations the benefit of the doubt. However, you'll have no such trouble from us. However, I'm afraid it would be impractical at best to return you to ZAFT territory at this point, but I promise I'll do everything in my power to get you repatriated as soon as possible."

Lacus smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Captain."

**Inside the ruins of Junius Seven**

Antonio stares into the eyes of Darren Kajiura, his close cousin's deceased husband. He graduated from Harvard cum laude in political science, also served a short time in the Atlantic Federation Air force. The man was about three years younger than Antonio, originally born and raised in Orb. His parents later moved to the Atlantic Federation when he was eight. On contrast to what their son became, Darren's parents were Anti-coordinator. They strongly resented Orb's then new policies with regards to Coordinators that they left the country in protest. They were so against coordinators that when Darren to marry Miyuki, he decided that the procession should be done in secret in the Equatorial Union. Unlike his parents, Darren had no similar biases, he saw coordinators as people just like everyone else. That's why he devoted much of his career getting them equal rights within the Atlantic Federation. That devotion may have cost him his life.

"Single gunshot wound to the head," Michael replied as he examined the man. "Bullet entered through the right side just above the ear, exited the left ear. That would've gone through his frontal lob and probably also his motor cortex and thalamus."

Michael Takahashi officially was an intelligence officer and team Bravo's XO, however he was professionally also a military field corpsman, he studied medicine to be doctor before he switched to a military career. He ordered Jethro and the others to secure the area and prepare for a body recovery, because of his importance it would probably best to take him with them. "He must've figured he's gonna die anyway… He pretty much died instantly."

Antonio nods, he saw the man was holding a picture, he sighed. It was the one of him and his family the background was the fountains in Sentosa. He was the one who took that picture, it was during the foundation day of the Equatorial Union last year.

"Poor guy…" Antonio had grown close to man, like everyone else in the Le St. Claires. They supported him fully during in his bid to congress. His death was a bad blow.

Michael takes a look on the 9mm. Beretta that was in Darren's right hand, "Looks like he carried his old service weapon…"

But when he tries to take the gun for a closer look, the gun didn't budge. This raises an eyebrow, "Huh… rigor mortis settled in before the oxygen ran out in here…"

Antonio takes a look at the gun and the stiff hand. "How long does that usually take to happen?"

"About three hours…" Michael undresses the dead man's body, "Sorry Darren… this won't take too long."

Antonio looks around, "This part is pretty isolated to the outside. It probably took nine hours for the oxygen to run out. He must have thought about it a lot…"

"Looks that…" Michael's face twists with puzzlement. "What the hell?"

Antonio looks at him. "What?"

"There's rigor mortis all over him, and it's settled to one side."

Failing to see the significance of the find, Antonio shrugs. "Yeah, so? Doesn't that always happen?"

Michael looks at him, "Normally yes, but considering our presumed circumstances of his death it shouldn't be that way."

His friend still blankly stares at him. "What do you mean?"

"Rigor Mortis is the temporary stiffening of the body after death," Michael explained. "Dark discolorations on a body are the result of gravity, the blood is settling at the lowest point of the body. That shouldn't have happen to Darren because…"

That's when it hit Antonio, "He supposed to have died in zero gravity…"

His eyes widened in the realization. "If he did shot himself before the oxygen ran out, the gravity of Junius Seven would have dispersed by then. There's no way rigor mortis should have settle in one side. Unless…"

"He was killed before, during or just after the nuclear strike." Michael finished grimly, "Darren didn't commit suicide. He may have been executed."

**Back in the Archangel, outside the captain's office, **

Wynn said hardly a word until she and Lacus reached the quarters set arranged for her. After they entered, however, she smiled. "Okay, we can speak freely in here."

She tilted her head. "Is it really that necessary, not to talk in the corridors?"

"It's not that," he assured her. "It's just that everyone except the Archangel's crew and the UNAAF personnel don't know who are, and frankly I'd like to keep it that way."

"But why? You never used to be that cautious, even when you were my bodyguard."

"Things have changed, girl," Wynn told her. "Some of the people, most especially the Heliopolis civvies, onboard in ship don't exactly have love for coordinators, especially after the colony collapsed."

Lacus gasped. "You were there? Wynn, it must have been horrible!"

"It was," she acknowledged tiredly. "And that wasn't even the worst of it. We've been dodging the ZAFT taskforce after us since we left L4."

"That young man in the hanger, he seemed very kind."

"That he is," Wynn agreed with a smile. "He always has been. He's the one who found you, by the way, and brought you aboard."

She nodded. "I'll have to thank him personally."

"I can arrange that." She looked away for a moment to the door, listening for anyone who could be at the door.

Lacus tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

Wynn gives a weak chuckle. "Nothing, I'm a little paranoid I guess."

She sighed. "Well anyway…" The young UN soldier leans back against the wall.

"So," she said, changing the subject, "Can you be a little more detailed on how your father's doing these days? I haven't seen the old man in a year, not since I got my self reassigned."

"Father is quite well," Lacus replied, recovering her own good cheer. "Of course, the political responsibilities he carries do tire him -as I'm sure you can understand," she added with a smile, the words induced Wynn to roll her eyes, who knew far more about politics than she wanted to, aside from her bodyguard, Wynn was also Lacus' PR agent of sorts. She had plenty of blessed times of herself wrangling with the media

"But he's well, otherwise."

Wynn nods. "Glad to hear it. He still working with Chairman Zala?" Athrun's father had worked closely the Chairman as of late, that was going on since Junius Seven. Wynn was made aware of this news by the UN office stationed in the PLANTs.

Lacus shrugged. "Some, yes; but I'm afraid they're beginning to move in different directions now. Patrick Zala wishes to expand the frontlines of battle, escalate the conflict. But I'm sure it won't come to that."

"I hope you're right," Wynn murmured. "'cause it's already a damn mess."

**Junius Seven was once again a hive of activity**

Only this time, it wasn't the activity of the coordinators who once lived there, but of UNAAF soldiers taking pictures and material evidence, that also included some of the dead. Several men from the Basilisk who wrapped Darren's body in a black plastic body bag before placing him in an airtight containment unit.

Antonio and Michael grimly watched on, they had already informed the Basilisk's and Archangel's respective captains, neither were happy with the idea of taking a body from the ruins.

"Mike," Antonio said as he heads toward the Chimera. "I want you to do the preliminary autopsy."

His friend stares at him, "Naomi's more capable for that job, Ant."

"I know," The Spartan Eternal murmured. "But I want it done as some as possible. Before Yuki finds out… 'cause right now, I don't have answers for the questions I know she's gonna ask me."

"Right…" Michael nods. "But try to get Naomi to the Basilisk ASAP."

"I'm going to tell her personally," Antonio replied as he entered the Chimera. "Remember, keep radio silence on it."

Michael salutes him, which doesn't normally do to him. "Roger that LC."

**Back in the Archangel**

Later, Janus Llewelyn Aelia wandered the corridors, feeling somewhat more cheerful than she had been in days, seeing an old friend had lifted her spirits somewhat.

"Hey, Wynn," La Flaga greeted her; the Lieutenant had just left the cafeteria. "The Pink Princess settling in okay?"

"Seems to be, Lieutenant," Wynn shook her head, keeping Lacus' farce. "She's either naive, or she knows something we don't."

Mu La Flaga nods at the former ZAFT pilot, "You two look like you go way back."

"We do," Wynn acknowledged. "Too bad I won't be seeing much of her for awhile."

The pilot frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Once we make Earth, Lt. La Flaga, it'll be time for me and the team to take our leave from the ship." She shrugged. "After that, we'll probably be back working on Project Zero."

"Right…" La Flaga nods. "You guys don't seem to take a break much."

"Yeah, we don't." Wynn replied simply.

"Wynn…" The Hawk began, "I'm a little curious… why are you in the UNAAF special taskforce group? I can see that you're an excellent pilot but I have a feeling there's more to it. Esspecially since you're pretty young compared to the Spartan of Waves' other team members."

The young blonde raises her eyebrow, "You're pretty sharp. You're right, the Lt. Colonel took me into the unit for another reason. I'm an urban and close combat specialist for ZAFT Special forces, assigned to unit Ame-no-Murakumo."

Mu Le Flaga's eyebrows shot up, "Y-You're a Sword?"

"Yup," Wynn smirked, "I've been one in the unit since 68."

"So you're a founding member…"

"No, not quite, I'm the first addition to the unit."

The older pilot nods, still a little surprised. "But that means you knew Miyuki even back then…"

"Yes," She admits. "She was the co-commander."

"She's supposed to be the leader of the Swords, right?" La Flaga leaned against the bulkhead, "And yet there's hardly anything about her. Why is that?"

Wynn shrugs, "That's because she's very good at what she does. Major rule of special ops, the less people know about you, the easier your job is."

La Flaga shook his head, obtaining new respect to the young widowed mother. "She must be really good… That kind of caliber yet no one outside of ZAFT knows who the heck she is? That says a lot about her…"

"Oh, you've only seen the tip of the iceberg," Wynn said smoothly. "Trust me, I've seen her do much better."

Mu shuddered, "I guess I'll take your word for it. I glad I never fought her… I barely survived my fight with Death's Favorite daughter during Yggdrasil. Well, I've got Bridge watch in a few minutes, see you later, kid."

Wynn smirks ironically at the man as walked away. She whispers, "If you only knew."

**The remaining crews of the Archangel and Basilisk in Junius Seven were almost finished with their work**

But unbeknownst to them, there were others watching them from the distance. There was another ship was hidden amidst rubble of another wreck. It was a Laurasia-class ship, but it didn't belong to ZAFT. It belonged to group of mercenaries, their purpose there was unknown.

The group was made up largely of disenfranchised ZAFT pilots who the high command found to be too violent, too insubordinate, too unbecoming of a soldier, or all of the above. Even the Laurasia-class' captain, one Ramie Carson, was dishonorably discharged because of his reputation as a pedophile.

Despite his fall from grace, he still wore his ZAFT uniform, but he didn't wear it for pride. To him it was just a status symbol. He also wore it inappropriately, he would sometimes wear the coat unbuttoned, and it was almost always disheveled.

"Okay you bums," He rasps over the radio at his mobilesuit pilots who were already out of the ship. "You better not screw this one up!"

"Ah shadap!" One of the pilots answered back, "Ya don't have ta hammer us in the head on that all th' time. We get it!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Easy for you to say."

"Whatever," Another replied chuckling as he did, "Just as long I get to kill something."

His name was Ash Grey, he was basically a homicidal psychopath. ZAFT had planned to execute him. However, he had escaped, killing several people as he did.

"Copy that," The last pilot replied tiredly. She was called D.N. and was probably the only person in the whole bunch that had a respectable reputation. She was a part-time Orb test pilot and army reserve, the only reason she was with these guys was because her friends convinced her to do so.

Their employer had promised a large sum for each of them. The object was to attempt a capture of the GAT-X105 Strike, the Earth Alliance's remaining and arguably most powerful prototype mobilesuit.

To most of them, the operation sounded pretty much straight forward. D.N. wasn't as optimistic however, especially since there were a lot of potential problems they had to deal with. One of which was that the Project Zero series was also present with the Archangel and they commandeered by Spartan Eternals and there was detail of a well-trained UN force escorting the ship.

She wasn't going to take the job anyway even with the high advance fee. But the employer was very persuasive of her joining in this venture. He had given her a new mobilesuit, the MBF-P06 Astray Black Frame. It was modeled after the Astray the man already had but with some special additions. D.N. had a thing for mobilesuits, she treats all of hers with great and loving care. The idea of her having a brand new prototype was too much for her to resist. All she had to do was survive this harebrain mission and she would keep the thing, no questions asked.

"Let's get this over with…"

**Back in the Archangel, in the Cafeteria**

A little later, Kira wandered into the cafeteria, and immediately came to a halt. "No! I'm not going to do it!"

"And why not?"

He walked over to Kuzzey, who was observing Mir and Flay's argument with detached interest. "What's up with them?" he asked quietly.

Kuzzey shrugged. "It's about that Coordinator girl's meal. Mir asked Flay to take it to her, but she refuses. That's _all_ they've been arguing about."

"I'm not going anywhere _near_ a Coordinator!" Flay insisted. "I'm too afraid."

Mir looked exasperated. "Afraid? Of _what?"_

"Well, you know how Coordinators are..." Flay trailed off, seeing Kira. "I don't mean you, Kira! You're different; I know that much."

"She's not a soldier, you know," Mir told her, attempting to calm her down. "It's not like she's going to jump out and attack you."

"You don't know that! Coordinators are so different from us. What if they're really strong or something?"

Kira winced, knowing how her other friend would not approve at a statement like that.

"Glad Wynn didn't hear that," he said to Kuzzey. "I don't even want to be anywhere near her if she did."

"I've talked to her a bit a little while ago," his friend whispered back. "I doubt it'll bother her that much."

Their discussion was broken off by another voice, coming from the hatch. "My! Who's this really strong person you're talking about?"

Lacus Clyne stood in the hatchway, looking slightly bewildered.

**On the Bridge, **

La Flaga chuckled to himself, drifting past Ramius. "We solve one problem with the supplies, and then get handed another one in the form of a pink-haired princess. The endless challenges we face."

He mock-salutes, "A real treat, Cap'n."

She managed a smile. "I suppose so. All sorts of interesting things seem to be happening to us, don't they?"

Ramius frowned thoughtfully. "I guess you've heard what the Lt. Colonel found in the colony."

La Flaga nods. "Yeah… they're going take the congressman's body to the Basilisk right? I sure hate to be old Ant right about now."

Ramius chuckled humorlessly. "I'd agree on that. Esspecially since Darren's wife is on board, she's not going to take that news well."

"Well," he went on, "I overheard the UN guys in the cafeteria saying that there's something wrong with the body. Something about a gunshot wound, they're guessing suicide but they wanted to make sure."

Murrue shook her head, "Yuki is definitely not going to be happy."

Mu decides to change the subject seeing it was also affecting the captain, "Going back to the original topic, I wonder what we're going to do with her?"

The captain sighs, "We're still en route to lunar headquarters, and if she goes there, they-"

"They'd welcome her with open arms," La Flaga interrupted, there was a slight tone of sarcasm. "She is Clyne's daughter, after all. Someone like her could be very useful to the Earth Alliance."

"I hope to avoid putting her through all that," Ramius said quietly. "She's a young girl, not a pawn."

"If you're going to worry about that, then what about _them?"_ Badgiruel interjected, indicating the volunteers. "They've helped out with the operation of the ship, even fought with us in battle, and yet they're still just young civilians."

"I doubt that'll be a problem, Ensign." The sudden voice, which startled La Flaga, was Miyuki's; she arrived sometime during the discussion and she bore a very dark look. "They volunteered."

Everyone in the bridge froze, staring at the young woman as she leaned against the bridge door's frame.

Murrue winced, she wondered how much she had heard of the conversation. "Yuki…"

Miyuki glared at everyone in the room for a few moments, then turned away. She walked over to the elevator.

La Flaga shuddered after the hatch closed, "Damn… How can a normally sweet woman like her be so scary looking?"

"I hope the Lt. Colonel is ready," Badgiruel murmurs, "She looked like the devil himself."

"Hard to blame her," Ramius said quietly. "I just hope she won't get out of control."

**In the Cafeteria**

Everyone stared as Lacus entered the compartment. They had all thought their accidental guest was still in her quarters, away from the rest of the crew areas.

"Oh, my," she said, seeing the startled faces. "I didn't mean to cause such a commotion. I was merely feeling hungry, so I decided to come looking for something to eat, since there was no one around to ask."

Unnoticed in the middle of this, another had arrived on the scene, from a different direction. Janus Aelia. Her expression was hard to read as she kept a straight face. Watching Lacus have what would probably be a not-so-pleasant encounter with Flay Allster.

_Hoo boy… This'll be fun…_

"I'm Lacus Clyne," the girl went on, extending a hand to Flay.

Flay's reaction was instant, unexpected, and vehement. "No! Stay away!" There was a look of genuine fear in her eyes, accompanied by something Wynn recognized as antipathy, loathing, ill-will. "Why should I shake hands with someone like you?"

Lacus tilted her head, puzzled. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not a soldier or anything."

"Just leave me alone!" Flay glared at the 'pink princess'. "I don't want any of you Coordinators acting friendly with me!"

Three people had three very different reactions. Lacus looked even more puzzled, Kira felt as though someone had just punched him in the gut, and Wynn frowned, tightening her right fist. _Flay, you didn't meant that right?_

"Flay Allster!" Mir snapped angrily.

Flay suddenly appeared to remember there were two other Coordinators in the room. "Kira, Wynn..."

Wynn flashes a cold stare, silencing her, she glanced at his friend.

"Kira," she said quietly, "You'd better escort Lacus back to her quarters."

"Yeah, good idea." Kira quickly guided Lacus out, grateful for the escape.

The cafeteria was filled with silence for a moment, Tolle and Mir glanced momentarily at Wynn. He wondering what sort of action the young officer might take, and she simply concerned. Others might fear her, but Mir had known Janus Llewelyn Aelia for a while now. She knew that, no matter how tough she looked, she had a heart, and it must have been hurt by Flay's remarks.

"Flay..." Kuzzey said finally, choosing his words with care. "Are you a member of Blue Cosmos?"

"No, I'm not!" Flay snapped. "But the stance those people take-"

She went no further, Wynn finally responds to her.

"Good," she said softly, in response to her first words, "Because I'd kill you."

Her calm mask finally shatters and the azure ice her eyes became sent several torrents of chill up her spine. "Do you have any idea why it how feels to lose someone, Flay? Do you know how it feels to find out that a good friend died? Do you? That friend got died in Copernicus protecting your father!"

The sudden explosion from the normally mild-mannered Wynn shocked everyone in the room.

"Llewelyn..." Mir began.

But she wasn't finished, she began ranting of what took place during the final moments of Danica turner's life. "She was supposed to have married during Valentines Day that year! I lost good friends not just in Copernicus but in Junius Seven as well because of people like those in Blue Cosmos! And it's all because something was done to George Glenn before he was born! Before we were born!"

Wynn stalks out of the room, leaving without waiting for a response. She left surprised silence in her wake, it was rare for her to lose her temper that way.

"You should think about what she said, Flay," Mir suggested finally.

Flay tried to appear calm, but the sample she just got of Janus Aelia's rage had shook her quite badly.

**Back in the Archangel, corridor to the hangar**

Antonio winces when he sees Miyuki waiting for him and Naomi, and judging by the steely look she was giving him, she knew.

"So much for radio silence…" He muttered. "This'll be fun…"

His cousin's normally warm and soft blue eyes were cold and hard as steel, they narrowed as Antonio and Naomi approached her.

"And when were you going to tell me?" Miyuki said icily, "Huh, Ton-ton?"

"I wasn't going to," Antonio returned with a stone-faced expression. "Yet anyway…"

The cousins were locked in a stare down.

"Naomi," Antonio said not looking away from his cousin. "You go on ahead."

The Medical officer nods uneasily as she shifts her eyes between both of them. "Yes sir…"

As Naomi left the both as them, Miyuki spoke again. "I have to see him. Now."

Right off the bat, Antonio shook his head, "I can't let you do that. Not yet anyway."

"Don't give me that crap!" Miyuki snapped, "I know you're just keeping him away from me!"

This outburst surprised him, she never raised her voice at him before, but then again this was a unique situation.

"I'm sorry Yuki," He trying to keep himself composed. "But we're currently examining the body-"

"I don't care!" She interrupted, "He's not some piece of property you can just stake a claim on! He's my husband!"

"I know that!" Antonio countered, yelling back, making it clear he wasn't going to back down. "But procedure has to be done, I can't let you!"

"Why?-!" She yells, futilely fighting the urge to shed tears. "Why does it matter…?"

She looks down the floor, balling both fists. "Why is everyone keeping him away from me…"

"All I'm asking for is see him… is that too much to ask…?" Her eyes finally gave way as a stream of hot tears ran down her cheeks. "I never saw him in his last three months before he died… I never even told him that I love him…"

Antonio wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He couldn't stand her being like this, he couldn't ignore it. It also reminds him of what he did when he lost his wife in a bombing ten years ago. He wanted to know why his wife had to die, why did the terrorists targeted the plane she had boarded. Even up to now, it was still a mystery to him.

"Please…" She whispered, placing her hands over his chest. Her eyes were full of desperation, pain and grief. "Let me see him, even just for a little while."

"Please Ton-ton," She buries her head into his chest, breaking down in tears. "Please let me see him… please…"

Antonio placed his arms around her, with closed eyes, he rests his head on hers.

"Yuki… There's something you should know…"

**"Must I stay in here again?" **

Lacus asked melancholically upon arrival in her quarters.

"I'm sorry," Kira apologized. "But it's best if you stay here."

"But that's just no fun!" she complained. "I'd much rather be eating over there, while talking with everyone. I'm all alone in here."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "But this is an Earth Forces ship; and the Earth Alliance has a lot of people who, you might say... don't place much value on the status of Coordinators. The _Archangel_'s a lot better than most, but still..."

"Yet you've been very kind and understanding," Lacus pointed out.

Kira looked away. "Well, you see... I also happen to be a Coordinator; just like Wynn."

She brightened, an understanding look on her face. "Well, we know the reason why you're kind. It's because you are _you."_ Lacus tilted her head. "If you don't mind, could you tell me your name?"

He looked surprised for a moment. "Uh, it's Kira. Kira Yamato."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Yamato. Thank you very much." A thought occurred to her. "So, you know Winnie, too?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah, we went to school together, in Copernicus, about ten years ago, but we've always been close. And you should know she hates being called that."

"Oh I know," She suppressed a giggle. "I tend to call her that a lot of times, I believe she's used to it coming from me."

He smirked. "She must secretly hate you a bit for that."

**Outside Lacus' quarters, Sai met Kira as he exited. **

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. At the Coordinator's blank look, he explained, "Mir told me about it."

"I'll be okay," Kira said with an uneasy shrug. "Uh, how'd Wynn take it?"

Sai looked a little nervous. "According to Mir, she snapped, quite the sight, apparently."

"It happens."

"Yeah, well... I'll talk to Flay later," Sai offered. "Don't let it get to you, okay? I'm sure she didn't really mean anything by it."

"I guess..." Kira said absently.

He said nothing more, for soft singing could suddenly be heard through the hatch. Kira stood there for several moments, listening with rapt attention.

"Is it that girl singing?" Sai mused in wonder. "What a beautiful voice."

"Yeah," Kira agreed, wholeheartedly.

"But I wonder," Sai went on thoughtfully. "Is that voice a result of fiddling around with her genes?"

Kira frown, this remark unintentionally hurts him a bit.

**In the bridge of the Archangel, **

Chandra raises an eyebrow as he realizes there was something unusual detected his sensors. However, he did not call the captain's attention immediately, they had several false alarms before and this may just be another. He waits a little longer, expecting the anomalies to dissipate from screen. But they didn't.

"Enemy detected!" He finally yells. "N-jammer levels increasing!"

Capt. Ramius whirled around, "What?-! An enemy attack now?"

"How many are there?-!" Ens. Badgiruel demanded.

"I can't confirm that!" Chandra replied, "They're too much interference coming from the debris."

"Wonderful…" The bad haired ensign muttered. Natarle presses one hand against her face.

_Oh, things just keep getting better and better. First, a Coordinator turns up piloting the Strike, and then he brings his friends along for the ride. After that, a former Zaft Elite joins in. Then, Anton, from out of the blue, manages to have us conspiring with ZAFT forces in the destruction of Artemis. Then, that girl turns up, and happens to be the Supreme Chairman's daughter. Here in the Space debris belt, we're about to be attacked by someone we can't even identify. Ugh. What else can happen?_

She would find out soon enough.

**As the Archangel crew go to level one battle stations, yet another party watches on.**

Inside the Nelson-class Ulysses, Lt. Col. Ivana Gurlukovich raises an eyebrow as the events unfold.

"Now this is unexpected…"

The ship captain looks at her at corner of his eye, "Ma'am, what are your orders?"

Gurlukovich said nothing for a moment seemingly deep in thought, until finally, "Launch all units."

"I will also go into combat," Ivana said as she stood up. "Captain, I'll leave everything to you while I'm gone."

"Yes ma'am."

**In the hangar of the Archangel, **

All of the mobilesuits pilots except scramble to their machines, some were already heading to the catapult. Men noticeably missing were Mu and Jethro, who had to be in unmanned stations since the crewmen who manned them were still outside in Mistrals.

"If it's the Le Creuset team again…" Wynn grumbled, she was still a little angry at Flay. "… I'm going to kick Yzak's butt."

"They were probably sent in here for Ms. Clyne," Miyuki surmised. "It's possible it's another unit all together."

"Yeah probably…" Wynn muttered.

Miyuki closes her cockpit door and calls up Murdoch, "Chief, arm me with the usual plus an MKE16, I might need a little reach this time."

"Sword striker plus assault rifle comin' up!" The senior mechanic replied.

She nods, "Thanks."

As she began making quick adjustments to her system, Antonio appears on her screen.

"Yuki," He began carefully. "You think you can wing it this time?"

Miyuki was still reeling from the possible revelation of her husband being murdered. She looked with a little uncertainty but nods, "I'll manage somehow."

He nods back and lowers his helmet's visors, "Okay."

The Chimera, armed with the Sol Striker pack, takes its place in the linear catapult track, "Antonio Le St. Claire, Chimera, launching!"

Miyuki's Strike Ginn takes position on the other catapult, it gets equipped with the Sword Striker pack, and also she receives an assault rifle and a clip rack which was attached to its right leg. Mir gives her a confirmation as soon as the unit was completely attached.

"Miyuki Kajiura, Strike Ginn, moving out!"

**The Ginn streaks along the track and out the hangar,**

She immediately pulls out a beam boomerang and the assault rifle. She sees the Basilisk was just in front of the Archangel, the Chimera and Siginarugan were guarding on either side of it. The Lead Zeppelin was right next to the Archangel. Frank and Daniel took positions on top of the Archangel's hangar doors. Everyone else made a defensive perimeter around the three ships.

"Just when things were starting to get profitable…" Jamie muttered as he flies his reportedly less than reliable cgue next the Chimera.

"You grumble about that later," Antonio replied. "Stay sharp, even the Angel's sensors can't detect much in this sea of scrap. All ships, keep moving, we'll be sitting ducks if we hold still."

"Who the heck's dumb enough to start a fight out here," Wynn grumbled. "There's hardly enough room to maneuver."

"Whoever they are," Kira said, tightening his grip on the controls, getting himself ready for another battle. "I'm not going to let then have the Archangel."

"I have a visual on the hostiles!" Michael suddenly calls out on the radio, "I see five ginns, two D-weapon, two HM and one AS. And…"

Michael frowns, "What the hell…?"

Antonio didn't like his best friend's tone, "What is it?"

"Ant…" He replied, "Correct me if I'm wrong… but I think I see an Astray."

Miyuki's eyebrows shot up, "What color?-! The Gold? Red? Or the Blue?"

"Black," Michael replied simply. "I never knew there was one."

The senior Orb engineer made a face, "Black…?"

"There wasn't," Antonio answered his friend.

"Astray?" Capt. Ramius appears in Miyuki's, looking confused. "Is that another separate G-project?"

"You can say that…" Miyuki sighs, she'll be expecting a lot of questions from her after this was over.

"Keep an eye on that unit Archangel, it has a standard armament similar to that of the Duel but no PSA."

The acting captain nods, still a little bewildered, "Copy that."

**The battle kicked off immediately after first contact**

"Okay people," Antonio barks orders. "Intercept them, keep them as far from the ships as possible."

"Copy that."

It quickly became apparent the Ginns were equipped with beam rifles as stream of green was shot at the defenders and the ships.

"These guys are here to take us out…" Wynn gritted her teeth as she dodges another beam shot. "No way can ZAFT issue beam weapons as standard weaponry that fast."

"Great," Regina muttered as she takes a shot with her shield. "They must've suspected something when that Lurp Recon Ginn didn't report back."

"I wouldn't be too sure…" Miyuki fires back with the assault rifle. "There's no way ZAFT could have gotten the Astrays even if they weren't destroyed in Heliopolis. And even if they did, I don't see why they should bother making a copy of an Astray especially since it has no PSA. I think we're being attacked by someone else…"

"Who?" Wynn asked, exasperated.

"You got me there," Miyuki admitted. "But from what I read and heard from the net, the three Astray prototypes have been taken by several groups. This may be one of them."

"So we're fighting someone we don't know," Luke shook his head, his Legionnaire launches its missiles. "This escort job is starting to be a headache."

"You said it," Regina muttered as she fires her beamrifle as a Ginn High maneuver who dodges it easily.

**The Siginarugan and the Strike Ginn approaches the Black Astray**

Michael opens things up with firing his 200mm. beamcanon, the Orb unit dodges the shot. The Black Astray aims to return fire but not with the Astray's standard Type 71 beam rifle, it uses a large weapon which it mounts on its shoulders.

Miyuki raises her eyebrows, "Sempai, Isn't that the heavy support bazooka made the Duel?"

Murrue in the bridge nods as she sees images of the weapon, she noted it had a battery attached to it, probably so that the weapon won't drain on the mobilesuit's own battery. "It was still in the factory when the Duel was in transport, we didn't have time to load it."

Michael watches as the large weapon's muzzle started to glow, it then fires, launching a gigantic stream green energy.

"Holy Shit…!" Despite its size, it moved toward him very fast. It obliterates several pieces of space debris as it roars passed through. His mobilesuit just barely manages to dodge the weapon's discharge.

"Close shot buddy..." He said to the Black suit in the radio. "But it's gonna take mo-"

"News flash buddy," D.N. interrupts the UNAAF pilot. "You weren't the target."

"Huh?" Michael was confused for a moment but quickly realizes what he meant. He looks back, to see that his intended target was the Archangel. "Damn!"

In the Archangel, acting captain Murrue Ramius yells, "Deploy anti-beam depth charges!"

As the ship did so, the Chimera flies between the ship and the large beam shot. Natarle widens her eyes when she this.

"Antonio!" She calls him by first name in the bridge for the first time. "What are doing?-!"

He doesn't reply, instead he activates the Rommel Panzer shield, he ramps it up to its highest setting. This makes the suit have a very bright aura.

Just them he remembered that he armed with Sol pack, "Yuki's gonna kill me…"

The blast makes contact the anti-beam cloud from the depth charges, but the cloud wasn't enough to absorb it all and a large portion of the beam was going at the Archangel, but it had to go through the Chimera first. The beam wasn't as large as it was before but it still made a strong impact against the suit. But was largely unscaved thanks to the Rommel Panzer.

Chimera looks over its shoulder at the Archangel, "Nothing weak gets past a Spartan."

Murrue sighs, "Thanks for the assist Chimera."

At the same time, Natarle sank on her chair. "Antonio, you insane bastard…"

Jamie Savage's Cgue and Amon Rochefort's Ginn flies beside the Chimera, backing it up.

Savage laughs, "You never changed, Legate."

Rochefort smirks slightly, "You're quite the guardian."

"That's what I was trained for," Antonio grins, showing some of his old cockiness from his younger years.

"**I can't believe that guy…"**

Regina grinned after she saw the Chimera block the beam shot herself. She shook her head. "Crazy…"

At the corner of her eye, she sees two more Ginns, but what catches her eye was what they were carrying. It was a large cylindrical looking weapon that was seemingly attached to large battery which was attached to one of the ginns. After several moments of looking at it, she realizes what it was.

"Guys!" Regina yells as she saw the weapon about to fire, "They have a Burstliner!"

Michael looked at the direction Regina was, "Burstliner?-! How the hell did get a hold one of those?-!"

The two-man beam weapon fires, belching a blast that was about the same size from the Archangel's own Lohengrin canons. Antonio sees the second blast but he didn't budge. He held his ground in sheer pigheaded defiance, "Bring it on!"

This blast cuts through the anti-beam cloud as if it wasn't there and hits Chimera in full force. The beam wasn't as large as it was before, a Burstliner's beam dissipates at a long distance but it still made a strong impact against the suit. Antonio grits his teeth as the cockpit shook violently, he keeps an eye on the battery making sure it won't overload.

"C'mon…" He muttered as the beam shot began to weaken, however the battery's alarm was going off. The Chimera's PSA was fluctuating in some parts of the suit.

"Antonio!" Natarle stands up and yells as sees this, "Get out of there!"

"Anton, listen to her!" Miyuki shouts, "The battery can't take much more!"

Lt. Colonel looks at the battery, it was overloaded. He shakes his head, "Copy!"

The mobilesuit gets out of the way, letting the Archangel take the remaining energy. There wasn't much left of the heavy particle shot and thanks to the laminated armor, the damage was minimal.

Same can't be said the Chimera, for the first time it sustained significant damage, a section of plating had been blasted off and a good part of the suit's PSA was disabled. Sol Striker unit also took a toll, the barrel of the left Gatling shield was warped, the right railgun and 105mm. canon was missing. And Chimera didn't get out of the way in time to keep its battery from overloading to a critical point, he was forced to jettison the no. two cell of the battery. And just on the nick of time, as soon at the cell was released, it explodes.

"Chimera, are you okay?-!" Mir frantically calls as the mobilesuit remained motionless. "Lt. Colonel Le St. Claire, are alright?"

After several tense moments, the Chimera responds.

"Sections of the PSA in disabled, I can't use Rommel Panzer since the number two cell is out and Yuki is gonna kill me when she sees what happened to the Sol Striker" Antonio responds ruefully, "But Yeah, I'm alright. How 'bout you guys?"

The women in the bridge, Mu and Jethro all sighed, "We're fine." Mir replied, "Thanks for the assist Chimera."

"Do you want to come back in," Murrue asked, seeing the bad shape the Chimera was.

"Negative skipper, I'll just take a defensive role out here."

She nods reluctantly, "Copy that Lt. Colonel."

Natarle settles back on the XO's chair and mutters to herself, "You better not get killed out there…"

Antonio switches frequency, "Sorry for the scare people, y'all have to fight without me, but I'll watch the rear. Do your best now."

**  
Michael sighs, relieved to still hear his friend's voice**

"You'll pay for that…" He growls as he turns his attention to the Black Astray.

"That guy's pretty damn good," The Black Astray commented. "They should've expected that from a Spartan Eternal."

"That's the reason he is one," Michael frowned at the black suit. "You think you can dole out anything close to that?"

D.N shrugs, the Black Astray lets go of the large bazooka, pulls out one of its beam sabers and its shield. "I'll try."

"Don't try," The Siginarugan suddenly charges at the suit with the Sidapa in its beam kama form, "Do!"

The Black frame does the same. The two suits clash beam weapons, both units were swinging their weapons in different angles in very rapid succession. Michael was surprised to find that the Black frame was parrying some of his best moves and counter with moves of its own.

"So how am I doing?" The Black frame's pilot asked almost too casually. The suit backs off, letting go of the shield and pulls out it beam rifle to fire

"Not bad," Michael replied cautiously as he dodges. "Looks like you've been taking on your own battles."

"You can say that," The pilot replied politely, the Black frame fires the missiles from the leg mounted missile pods. "But I'm not as battle hardened as you are Mjr. Takahashi."

Michael raises an eyebrow, as he uses his RHEA wings to block the attack. "Thanks, you don't act like a pirate or bandit."

"That 'cause I'm not," She answers

"I see…" Michael said thoughtfully, "Care to give me name?"

"Sure, the name's Lockwood," the Astray pilot replied. "D.N. Lockwood."

"Lockwood?" Michael raises an eyebrow, "Related to Terry Lockwood, one of the Razgriz?"

"Oh, he's my brother."

This time Michael raises both eyebrows, "But that means… You're Denise Nicole Lockwood!"

"Took you long enough to find out." The pilot laughs, "Long time no see Mike."

"Denise," Michael began, astounded, "W-what the heck are you doing with that suit?-!"

"Ah, I'm doing a job for someone." She replies, "I can't tell anything else besides that."

D.N. puts away her rifle and beam rifle, and pulls out a familiar weapon, a Sidapa double dual blade Scythe "Don't hold back on me now."

D.N. and her older brother are good friends of his in the Orb military. But right now, Michael was serious as he clashes with, pondering on what D.N. said. He knew Denise had a sideline as a mercenary, a very good one at that.

_She's doing a job? For who?_

**Just outside the field of battle**

Ivana Gurlukovich inside a GAT-01D Long Dagger, accompanied by two more Long Daggers and the four Moebius Zeros. The time was right to strike.

"Its pay back time," Nadir chuckled excitedly.

"Just make sure you keep the mission in mind." Sarah frowned at him.

"You ready bro?" Ritchie calls his brother.

Wade nods. "Ready, willin' and able."

One of the pilots of the other Long Daggers, Mouar Pharaoh kept silent. She was a young combat coordinators, the best pilot available to Gurlukovich. Aside from combat coordinator conditioning, she was also given the Gamma Glipheptin process. She has dark green and hair and eyes, a very petite and attractive young coordinator, the same age as Wynn.

"Everyone," Ivana calls, "Time to go."

**In the bridge of the Archangel, something triggers Mu's senses**

"Captain…" He calls.

Murrue looks at him, "What is it?"

"I think something's coming from our rear-"

"Captain!" Jethro yells, "Additional unidentified units detected, they're coming from port rear of the ship!"

"I can feel them…" Mu tries utilizing his senses more, "It's not Le Creuset… It's that Eurasian from Artemis!"

Everybody in the bridge looked at him, they were aware of Mu's special talent. But they were surprised to find that the Eurasians followed them here.

"All units!" Natarle calls to the mobilesuits through radio, "We have more possible hostiles to our rear!"

"What?-!" Kira calls incredulously, "More of them?-! Just how many are there?-!"

"We can't tell that in this sea junk!" Regina replies with obvious frustration, "The damn debris are screwing up our sensors!"

"Can you identify them?-!" Antonio asked the XO.

"It might be the Eurasians, and according to Lt. La Flaga, they have their Moebius Zero pilots with them."

Jamie Savage scowls as he hears the news, "Zeros?-! No one said anything about Zeros! And isn't Eurasia supposed to be on your side?-!"

"That supposed to be the case," Natarle mutters.

Antonio immediately calls the shots, "Dante, Yamato! Both of you, with me now!"

"Basilisk," He continues. "Provide us support!"

"We copy Lt. Colonel," Steven replied, the 150 meter ship immediately begun to turn around to support the four mobile suits.

The rest of the defenders didn't need to be given any orders. Daniel in the Headhunter flies toward the top of the Archangel's bridge to cover the rear. Luke's Legionnaire takes the place where the Headhunter was, opposite to where Frank was in his Firefly. The Lead Zeppelin, Jamie and Amon all went to the front of the Archangel, the two mobilesuit were on either side of the Laurasia-class. Michael, Wynn and Miyuki all fall back to tighten the defense. Inside the Archangel, Natarle orders several missile tubes to be loaded with anti-beam depth charges incase of another large attack.

**Antonio, Kira and Regina all head to the rear**

The Basilisk trends slowly behind them, positioning itself to support them. The three mobilesuits form a defense line, several meters apart from each other. It didn't take long for them to get a visual of the unknown force.

Kira winces as he saw a Zero, "It's the Eurasians alright…"

Antonio shook his head in disbelief, "They even came after us all the way in here…"

Regina kept silent. She knew that it was only her old friend who would so such an audacious move. When she had heard what had happened to Miyuki, it only made her more worried of an encounter with her. "Ivana…"

Antonio then sees a mobilesuit accompanying it, he immediately recognizes what it was, EU intelligence kept close tabs of what the Earth Alliance was doing behind their back.

"Guys, that suit is a high performance production version of the Duel, they have the same armament. I don't think this one has PSA yet though."

"Roger," both his companions reply.

Without being told, Lt. Com. Steven Halberton orders the loading and arming the missile launchers and torpedo tubes. "Fire when I give order."

Antonio reports what was going on to the Archangel. Captain Ramius, who was obviously concerned, asks if he wants additional support.

"Negative," He replies with authority, "Just make my men aware of the threat, but they are to hold their positions until I say so."

Murrue, who was by now used to the higher ranked officer's stubbornness, sighs. "Affirmative Lt. Colonel, but please be careful."

"Okay crew," Antonio calls as the Chimera pulls out its left beamrifle since he got rid of the totaled left gatling shield. "Try to keep yourselves in the Basilisk's firing range. You're weapons free."

**Regina stares straight at the Long Dagger in from her**

She couldn't explain it, but somehow Regina felt that it was 'her' in there.

_Ivana… why are you doing this…?_

She tightens her grip on the throttles and bit her lip. Her Wyvern raises its beam rifle, and pulls the trigger at it. The beam shot surges at the Eurasian mobilesuit. Her target, almost as expected, dodges the direct attack, it wasn't going to go down that easily.

The Wyvern then fully engages the long dagger, Regina raises her shield to protect the Wyvern's body and cockpit. She takes a deep breath and her eyes harden.

She launches several missiles from her pods, at the same time fires her beamrifle again. The long dagger uses its CIWS to counter the missiles and returns fire with its own rifle. They circle each other, firing their beamrifles, locked in dance of death.

As this went on, Regina frowns in concentration, waiting for the right moment. That moment came when the long dagger lulls its offense, probably to let the overheated rifle cool. It only took several seconds, but that was all Regina needed. She lunges in, the beam saber attached below the rifle's muzzle activates. She thrusts it in fast, but the long dagger parries her attack by blocking with its own saber. The long dagger fires its CIWS it the Wyvern's head to destroy the cameras, the Wyvern looks away on time to avert that. It lets go its shield to reveal an Armor Schneider knife. Regina stabs it onto the elbow joint right of the long dagger, cutting the electric support lining, disabling the right arm all together. The long dagger pushes itself away before the Wyvern did anymore damage. Regina fires her CIWS and AW22s at it, along with her missiles. A Eurasian Zero goes between them, firing its already loose gunbarrels at the wyvern.

The Chimera comes to support her, firing its CIWs and AW22s and the remaining Gatling shield. Antonio had a feeling this wasn't all their forces. He eyes his sensors for a moment, he decides to trust his instincts. "Kira, head to the portside of the Archangel"

"Huh? Why?"

"You'll find out when you get there," Antonio barks. "Now move!"

As the Strike moves away, he turns his attention to Regina. "Dante, how're you holding up?"

"I'm fine, sir." She replied, "What about you."

"I think I take a few more." Antonio fires all his weapons at one Zero, taking out a couple of gunbarrels.

**Kira saw the reason why Antonio sent him back**

On the portside of the ship, Miyuki and Jamie were just barely holding off two Eurasian Moebius Zeros. Kira immediately jumps in to assist, firing his beamrifle at one Zero, making it turn back from its strafing run.

Miyuki looks at the direction of the shot, "Kira! Boy, I'm glad to see you."

"The one you should thank is your cousin," the young coordinator replies. "You better head back and switch with the launcher."

"Roger," She replies as head to the front of the ship. "I'll be back."

"Don't take too long," Jamie comments as the Strike Ginn enters the hangar.

"Well kid," He sighs, aiming his Barrus heavy particle canon. "Ever fought a Zero before?"

"Once," Kira replied. "It wasn't easy."

"Never is," the mustached junk guildsman replied. He fires a particle blast between the two Zeros to make them separate.

"We have to keep them apart," Jamie advises as his suit charges forward. "Focus your fire on the main body, that's the least maneuverable part. Don't fire on the barrels unless you're absolutely sure."

"Roger," the Strike charges in, aggressively attacking one Zero. The Eurasian unit skillfully dodges the fire, returns with shots from its lineargun. They hit, but of course, with the Strike's PSA there was virtually no damage.

"Ya think that fancy armor of yours is gonna save ya?" Ritchie Mossberg sneers arrogantly, "Think again!"

Ritchie lets loose with his gun barrels, and counters the Strike's aggressive push. He tries to surround the Strike but it was constantly one the move.

"Hold still ya insect!" The Zero recklessly gives chase, Kira takes aim, and fires his beamrifle. The Eurasian pilot curses under his breath as two of his gunbarrels get taken out. This forces him to draw his remaining remote weapons back a little. Kira wasn't having it easy either, Ritchie's Zero had score several hits on part of the Strike and the anti-beam coating on the shield was wearing off.

Jamie who was fighting Ritchie's brother Wade wasn't having any better luck. The two mobilesuits were locked in a deadly tangle, both had taken hits but neither one was backing down. Inside the cockpit of the cgue, Jamie frowns as he fought. Eyeing his battery gauge every several minutes, he was certain that the cgue he was piloting had an integral flaw in it, it had something to do with the battery system. Despite checking it several times already, Jamie just couldn't figure out the problem, that rarely happened. In contrast to Jamie's serious mood, Wade in the other was smiling. This was the first time in a while that someone was actually giving him a challenge. He loved challenges, the harder it was, the more loved it.

"Show me more!" He charges forward.

**Up in front of the Archangel**

The battle between the defenders and the "ZAFT" forces was getting more intense as the combatants began to fight at close range. Wynn grits her teeth as she clashes beamsabers with a Ginn High Maneuver. She and her opponent exchanged blows in a furious pace. The Ginn HM swings its weapon wildly not bothering with restraint for defense. Wynn felt as though the pilot intently wanted to kill her.

She finds out why as the Ginn HM's calls her with a giggling, maniacal voice. "Not bad… too bad you won't last long…"

Wynn narrows her eyes as she quickly recognizes who it was.

"Ash Grey…" She calls his name with outright disgust, "what's an insane lowlife like you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be executed?"

The ginn pilot chuckles before he answers, "Oh I just decided to let myself out. You think a puny cell and some guards are enough to hold me?"

"One of ZAFT's finest soldiers? Ha!" Ash boasts as he continued to swing at Wynn's wyvern.

His last remark infuriates her, "ZAFT's finest?-! ZAFT, and the Plants for that matter, hardly needs an insane homicidal maniac like you! And since you've escaped, I'll take pleasure in being your executioner!"

She lets go of her shield and pulls out her beam saber. She also activates the beamsaber on her rifle.

"Hey, aren't we a little too steamed over this?" Ash said in a seemingly apologetic voice. "Lemme apologize. Just take it easy, calm down, and... DIE!"

His ginn high maneuver charges, the tip of his beamsaber aimed at her. As he was about to thrust it in, Wynn, with one swing, parries the attack and forces it to the side. Instead of thrust her beamrifle's beam bayonet, she drives her elbow down the ginn's back, Ash yells. She then the ginn, making it spiral away and add to the pilot's discomfort.

"You're supposed to be ZAFT's finest?-!" She sneers, "Don't make me laugh!"

Ash's flashes at the mobilesuit with an incredible rage, "You little… You're dead!"

**At the same time**

Michael and D.N. were squaring off with each other. Both Sidapa were split into two as the two pilots battle and attempt to find the other's weaknesses. Neither was going to go without a fight.

"C'mon!" D.N. swings her kamas together in a scissors fashion.

The Siginarugan stops the move by placing its own kama blade between the two he then swings the two then swings his own at the black frame. "Gotcha."

"Damn…!" D.N. tries to back off but Michael manages to lock his kama on one of D.N.'s, forcing her to dodge it. She narrowly does so.

"Mjr. Takahashi," It was Mir, she had some urgency in her voice.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"There's a Eurasian Nelson-class attacking from our starboard. The Lead Zeppelin and Mr. Rochefort went to intercept. They requesting back up."

"Copy Archangel," He switches frequency. "Frank, Daniel, they need back up on starboard. Get to it."

"Roger," The two men move to the starboard side, weakening further an already weakened defense.

"Lord…" Michael mumbles almost desperately, "Let there be no more… please tell me there's no more…"

**Michael wasn't the only one feeling the pressure**

At the rear of the pack, Antonio was feeling it in his face. He grits his teeth as he fights a Long Dagger with a beamsaber. Normally, he would be fighting with the Mandarangan or his own beamsaber. The beamsaber he was using was using was actually belongs to his opponent mobilesuit, he managed to forcefully take it from the Long Daggers as it tried to swing at him. But the inability to use his own weapons was the least of his worries. Antonio looks at his battery gauge, the Chimera's power was draining much faster with the loss of the secondary cell. With that gone, the Chimera is relying on one cell to power the whole suit.

He deactivates his PSA to conserve power, this causes his opponent to become more aggressive and a bit over confident. He swings its saber carelessly as it tries to go for the killing blow. Antonio makes him pay for that mistake, he reaches out for the hand with one of his remaining working weapons, the extending claws. The claw grabs the arm holding the beamsaber, crushing it slightly. The Chimera then uses its beam saber to sever the arm completely.

At the same moment, the battery finally reaches its limit, the alarm goes off. Antonio curses under his breath, he kicks the Long Dagger in the cockpit to push it away.

"Regina! The Chimera can't take anymore. I'm falling back!"

"Couldn't have picked a worse time sir," She mutters, shaking her head at their once again desperate situation.

"Sorry…" Antonio replies in a humbled voice. "Maybe if I wasn't careless…"

"Ah, forget it." She replied with a dimpled smirk, "Now out of here sir."

"Thanks," Antonio switches his frequency. "Hey this is Bravo Leader. I'm falling back, somebody take my place!"

He repeats the call several times until Miyuki responds, just getting out of the Archangel. "Roger that leader, responding to call."

"Thanks Strike Ginn."

Miyuki heads straight to the rear to support Regina, as the Chimera passes her. She sees the damage all over it, "Damn… How can you even fight in that shape?"

She reaches Regina just in time, she was being teamed up on by two Long Daggers, one was fighting close combat and the other in the distance.

"None of that now!" Miyuki goes after the one shooting, firing the Agni at it. The long manages to dodge it but loses its left leg.

"Thanks," Regina says as she continues fighting the other long dagger beamsaber to beamsaber. She was now sure she was fighting Ivana. Despite losing it right arm and beamrifle, it continues a very ardent fight.

Regina makes sure that no one was listening in on them, then makes her move. "Ivana? Is that you?"

The pilot didn't answer at first, then finally, she replies, "It's been a while Regina."

**The two man Burstliner team that had damaged the Chimera was setting up for another shot at the Archangel.**

They figured since whoever else was attacking the ship was keeping its defenders occupied. They were confident they would hit the Earth forces ship this time.

Unbeknownst to them, Daniel spotted them and aimed his 94mm. Sagittarius sniper rifle, using mirage colloid to conceal himself.

The advantage in space was there was no wind or gravity to a bullet's inertia, though it had unique challenges –even a small piece of debris would throw off the bullet's trajectory. But if you had the skill that Daniel has, you'd find it easier to aim and shoot in zero gravity.

He gets his breathing under control and his pulse to settle as he once again gets into his zone. He focuses all his concentration into his target as he manipulates his mobilesuit's custom manual targeting system. He sees the muzzle of the Burstliner begin to glow.

He pulls the trigger, sending a 94mm. AP shell into the two man weapon's gunner.

The shell explodes just above the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. Before the support man realizes what happened, the Headhunter fires another shell, this time hitting the cockpit.

"One shot," Daniel deactivates Mirage Colloid. "One kill."

**In the port side of the Archangel, things were seemingly looking up**

"Huh?" Wades hears his battery gauge, the Eurasian pilot scowls. "Aw nuts!"

"You too huh?" Ritchie said with an annoyed tone. "We best be pullin' out fer now."

"Ergghh…" Wade growls angrily, "Stupid piece of junk…"

Jamie was the first realize what was happening as the Eurasian Zeroes began to pull back. "So, those things have regular Mobilearmor batteries packs…"

"It'll take 'em a while before they charge 'em back." The Junk guild sighs, "Gees… I hate fighting Zeroes

"I know how you feel," Kira was breathing constant, caused by battle fatigue and anxiety. "It's a wonder why the Earth Forces never mass-produced those things."

"That's because only people with spatial awareness can utilize the Moebius Zero fully."

Kira raise an eyebrow, "Spatial awareness?"

"That's ability to… well, sense the presence and movement of mass through space. It's sort of like ESP."

So that means… La. La Flaga has…"

"Yup," Jamie nods. "He had spatial awareness."

"Well, we can relax for–" He spots something in the distance, he then groans. "I spoke too soon."

Not too far from them now, Ens. Mouar Pharaoh flew in long dagger along with three others.

"Here we go again," Jamie lines up his heavy particle canon at them. "Well, at least this time it's just mobilesuits."

Kira gets himself ready, "Yeah…"

"**Can't you just put in a new cell now?"**

Antonio asks Kojiro Murdoch as the maintenance crew went over the severely damaged Chimera.

The chief shook his head, "The Chimera's battery terminal got a real bad short. We have to change the wiring first. Sorry sir, as much as I hate to say it, the Chimera's done for this battle."

Antonio covers his face and groans, he was beginning to regret his reckless actions from earlier."

If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was to feel helpless, unable to do anything to help and protect his men.

The exact same feeling he felt 10 years ago when he lost his family, he couldn't fight back, he couldn't protect what mattered to him the most. Antonio sighs as he was about to head to the bridge, that's when he saw Mu's Zero. He stood there for moment, weighing his options. Until…. "It's been a while… but what the hell."

**In the bridge of the Archangel**

Mu La Flaga couldn't stand being a spectator anymore, "Captain, I'm going to take the Zero out."

Murrue Ramius nods, Get to it."

"Captain!" Mir calls from CIC, "The Lieutenant Colonel is commandeering the Moebius Zero. He's requesting to launch."

"What?-!" The Archangel's captain stares at her, stunned.

She then patches a direct link to the Moebius Zero, "Lt. Colonel, what are you doing?-!"

"Doing my job and protecting this ship," Antonio replies in a relatively calm voice, contrast to a man who was about to do something seemingly desperate.

"I can see that," She snaps at him for the first since Heliopolis. "But as good as you are in a mobilesuit that doesn't necessarily translate to a mobile armor!"

"I used to be a mobile armor pilot, skipper." He reminds her. "It's like riding a bike for me."

Antonio then holds up his hand to stop the response he was expecting. "And captain, I was one of the test pilots for the Moebius Zero."

Capt. Ramius blinks, "W-w-what…?"

"He's telling the truth," Mu speaks out as, floats to her side. "He's been piloting a Zero before my unit was formed five years ago when the Atlantic Federation was still a member of the UN. He was the one who trained me to use one."

"There you go captain," Antonio says. "Now, can you grant me permission already? It'll take too much time for Mu to suit up and get down here. The clock's ticking."

Ramius looks over her shoulder to La Flaga, "Lieutenant?"

Mu nods, "Fine with me." He then grins, "I like to see how good he still is."

She nods, and looks back at Antonio on screen. "Looks like the lieutenant vouched for you, permission granted."

Murrue then gives him a tired smile, "Say Lt. Colonel, why do you seem to get your way all the time?"

The UN officer shrugs innocently, "I technically outrank you for starters." This remark caused a smile to form in the face of everyone in the bridge despite the seriousness of the situation.

Natarle rolls her eyes, "Smart-ass."

"I can't believe you…" The Captain chuckles, shaking her head at the man's smart-aleck but likable attitude. "Just don't do something stupid out there."

"Oh don't worry," Antonio assures her. "I learned my lesson."

"Moebius Zero," Mir calls from CIC. "You're clear for launch."

"Roger, Moebius Zero, Antonio Le St. Claire, heading out." The Zero whips out of the hangar in a rapid rate. As soon as he clears the linear track, he turns the mobile armor 180 degrees while still moving, he turns up the thrusters and heads to the rear. People in the bridge were amazed by the maneuver.

Mu looks at Murrue, "Told ya' he's good."

"Lt. Colonel," Mir continues to communicate with him. "Lt. La Flaga's Zero was modified to use beam weaponry," She goes on to explain the modifications done.

"Copy," The Spartan of Waves replies. "I got it now, thanks AA."

He slowly gets feel of the ship, it wasn't too hard for him, since he flew one of these before. Through the years of his career, from the Atlantic Federation army to the Equatorial Union Marine Corps, to UNAAF Special Taskforce, he ended up being assigned to several special projects, Moebius prototype project was just one in a line of others like it.

It didn't take too long for Antonio to spot a target, it was Nadir's Zero and Long Dagger on their way from the Ulysses to support Ivana's side. He fires a magnetically accelerated round with the lineargun. The shell strikes the Long Dagger in the cockpit killing the pilot instantly.

"What the –?-!" Nadir whips his head toward the source of the shot, he sees the Archangel's Zero charging in. Inside the cockpit, Antonio's left eye changes, the pupil turns to a slit, the iris turning blood red, He releases the gunbarrels, "Time to hunt."

**Kira was now cornered by three Eurasian mobile suits**

Mouar and two others relentlessly went at the Strike. One Long Dagger went to deal with Jamie. Using his beam shield to deflect a strike from one of the Long Daggers, he stabbed it with his own saber before parrying another beam saber attack from a Long Dagger, slicing its left arm off before slicing the entire mobile suit in half, resulting in an explosion.

Watching a Long Dagger trying to aim its beam rifle at him, he dashed nearby with the help of Aile Pack's thrusters and grabbed the lone mobile suit's right arm. He then forced it to drop its weapon by twisting its right arm just enough to make the Long Dagger let go of his beam weapon. Managing to pick it up, Kira gripped it tightly and unloaded some beam rounds at the Long Dagger, disabling it permanently before letting it go.

"Damn!" Kira saw the leading grey Long Dagger charged at him, it had its beam saber ready for a thrust attack. Kira saw it from a distance and drew out his beam saber quickly to counter, executing a horizontal swing that throws the other mobilesuit's aim.

**"You're pretty good"  
**A young woman's voice said to Kira. The Long Dagger begins to execute a horizontal beam swipe, Kira pulls the Strike back and got his beam saber out at the ready. "Just as well it's just the two of us left."

"Who are you?" Kira yells. "Why are you attacking us?"

"I am Mouar Pharaoh. I've been given specific orders to apprehend you and your comrades." The voice replied in an eerie coldness "Surrender at once, or I maybe forced to do something unpleasant."

"Not a chance!" The two lunged at each other and clashed beam saber. Disengaging from the beam saber, they tried again and again to strike a blow against their opponent. But with every beam saber blow, Kira was able to place Mouar in the defensive.

_Now I got you! _Kira was ready to disable Mouar's mobile suit by getting rid of its legs when a beam shot erupted from nowhere. Mouar saw the weapon fire and moved back.

"What the…?" Kira stared at another Long Dagger. It was about to fire again but it was caught in a large blast of energy, damaging it severely.

"It's me, Jamie." The Junk guildsman greeted in his Cgue. "Looks like I was just in time to help you."

"Thanks," Kira calls. "Watch out, that grey one is good!"

"If that's the case!" Jamie aims at Mouar's Long Dagger with his Barrus. "We'd better finish him off quick!"

Kira watched as Mouar broke out any attempt to attack him and went straight for Jamie, who calmly fires beam shots along with two shots from his Pardus launcher. Seeing the projectiles approach her, Mouar managed to evades them moving left and right. The two suits exchanged shots in a lethal dance of death.

While Mouar was aggressive, Jamie had a more passive approach, dodging fire and occasionally returning fire with his Barrus. He checks the battery gauge regularly, so far so good, it wasn't dying out on him. His opponent, the Long Dagger, was firing more often, Jamie guessed her battery would run out sooner than his. All his had to do was dodge and weave, at least that was the idea.

That's when it happened, the battery alarm goes off and the Cgue was beginning to seize up.

"What the hell?-!" Jamie scowls, he sees that the battery had suddenly beginning to drain. "Why now?-!"

"If you're not surrendering, then prepare to die!" Mouar hissed, she was about to execute the fatal blow on Jamie.

"NOOOO!!!!!" Kira couldn't bear to watch a comrade of his die under his watch. From within the depths of his mind, something had came out of its dormant slumber.

Kira watches as a person who had just helped him was about to die. He couldn't accept that, he wouldn't allow that. "Too many people died already!"

An amethyst seed appeared and broke into half. His eyes appeared more focused than it normally was.

**The Moebius Zeros of the Mossberg brothers return to battle after recharging in the Ulysses.**

Ritchie was the first to spot the Archangel's Moebius Zero, "Hey bro check it out."

Wade looks at it fight Nadir's Zero with skill, "Well, well… that's interesting… c'mon."

Antonio sees the two other Zeroes coming at him, "You've got to be kidding me…"

The two Mossbergs launch their main gunbarrels.

"Let's see how good you really are!" Ritchie says with a maniacal laugh.

Antonio bites his lip, struggling hard to dodge all twelve gunbarrels while firing back with his own.

"I don't care how good you are," Nadir presses in after he reels back his gunbarrels.

"You're toast!" Ritchie yells as all three Eurasians hammer Antonio mercilessly.

The veteran pilot grits his teeth, "That's it, you asked for it."

The unsettling shade of yellow fills his eyes, pushing the red color to the edge of the iris. He begins by getting out of the tangle of gunbarrels boosting out there with his own barrels locked in.

"Where ya think you're goin'?" Ritchie yells as the three of them give chase.

Antonio makes a 180 degree turn, which catches them off guard. He launches and the fires his gunbarrels. He catches all of them by the side as they tried to break formation.

"How did he do that?-!" Nadir yells as they launch their own gunbarrels.

"How the hell should I know?-!" Ritchie snaps to him.

Antonio then draws his barrels closer and charges at them, "Let's see how react to this…"

His actions cause them to bunch and concentrate their fire at him.

The Spartan Eternal smirks, "Predictable."

He fully draws back his gunbarrels and charges in.

"Hey man," Ritchie calls. "I don't think he's gonna stop."

"Don't be stupid," Nadir replied. "He's just bluffing. He has to stop."

What Antonio was going to do was anything but a bluff.

"Time for the 'Four-Headed Dragon' to get down to business," He earned a lot of aliases through the years, he earned this one for his top notch handling of Moebius Zeros. "Or should I say Six-headed dragon?"

He launches the Auxiliary gunbarrels, the beamsabers on them activate.

Wade stares at it, "What the hell?-!"

When the Eurasians finally decide to break formation, it was too late. Antonio spins the Zero rapidly the two beamsabers form a large red glowing halo of death. He goes right through them, destroying several gunbarrels as they lagged behind the bodies. Mu's Zero them made one more 180 degree turn, the two auxiliary gunbarrels whip behind the body like tail. Antonio lets all the gunbarrels loose and fires, the three Eurasian Zeroes took a heavy toll.

**Kira gave a loud warcry**

He stows his beam saber and used his beam rifle to fire a shot near Mouar's Long Dagger.

Just barely managing to override his system and reroute the system to auxiliary power, Jamie used his Barrus' long barrel as a club and smacks the Long Dagger on the head.

"Raveshaw! Dumas!" Mouar decided to concentrate on taking out Kira out of the battle for good. "Take care of that mobilesuit out there! "

"Right!"

Kira eyed the two Long Daggers charging at him. He started by sidestepping one when it tried to stab him with its beam saber. Using the Armor Schneider, Kira stabbed the Long Dagger's left arm that held the beam saber then kicks him.

"Crap!" The pilot yelled, sensor alerting him. "My left arm! I can't move it!"

Waiting for the other Long Dagger to try and attack him with a beam swipe, Kira boosts upward to evade the attack before getting behind him. Kira executed a tackle that took him by complete surprise, sending him spiraling in space.

"You're next!" Jamie charges at the Mouar's Long Dagger, He had his MA-M4A heavy sword ready. She drew out her beam saber and charged at him as well, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"If you want him, you better past me first!" Jamie blinked, not being able to stop his Cgue from charging when he saw Dumas' Long Dagger armed with a beam rifle taken from a fallen Long Dagger in front of Mouar. "You better stay back, Ensign. Mouar. I got him!"

"Idiot!" shouted Mouar. "Don't be a fool, he's better than you think!"

"Heh." Jamie smirked at him. "Guess we're doing this the hard way!"

"**That guy's crazy!" **

Ritchie yells, "I'm outta here!"

"I second that proposal," Wade follows him.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Nadir said last, his unit was hit worst, thrusters were damaged.

"Yeah that right," Antonio laughed as the three units retreat. "Run!"

His satisfaction was to be short-lived, as he reaches for the Gamma Gliphalium syringe, his eyes widen. There weren't any syringes in the carrying pack, he froze for a moment.

"Oh shit…" Antonio whispered, wondering why did he make such a stupid mistake.

Even by then, he began to blink constantly as his eyes became easily irritated. And the pain, which felt like red hot needles pressed under his skin, spreads quickly over his body.

Fighting through the pain, Antonio tries to go the Archangel.

**The status of the pilots went unnoticed by those in the Archangel's bridge.**

"Our mobilesuits have just about had it…" Natarle mutters as she listens in to the chaotic chatter that flooded Mir's station. "We better end this soon or this maybe it."

Mu looks over his shoulder and nods, "We have to help somehow…"

"The thing is," Jethro said as he had on the captain's right, Romero Pal had taken his spot. "We can't just shoot at any of those bogeys. We'll be putting our boys in bigger risk."

"That Nelson-class on our starboard is the only thing we can really target." He continues, "But we won't be able to hit it with standard maneuvers…"

Inspiration hits Natarle in the head, "I have an idea…!"

"Neumann!" She yells, "Place maximum thrust on the port thrusters. Do that while maintaining inertia our current inertia."

Everyone save for the volunteers stare at her blankly, as if she were insane.

The acting captain quickly figures out what she was thinking. "I see… Neumann, do as she says."

"Y-yes ma'am," Arnold Neumann complies.

"Crewman Haw," Natarle turns to Mir. "Tell everyone in the starboard side to get clear of the line of fire."

"Ma'am!" she begins patching links to Amon, Frank and the Lead Zeppelin.

"Pal!" Both women call together, "Prepare the Lohengrin!"

"Captain!" One of the crewmen of the Eurasian Nelson-class Barbarossa's bridge call, "The Archangel is making unusual movements."

"What?-!" The captain stares in disbelief at what the Archangel was doing, it turning as if on a pivot. His eyes widen even more when he see two large weapons revealing themselves on the front 'legs' of the ship.

"Fire!" Lt. Ramius and Ens. Badgiruel both yelled together. The Archangel lets loose with its own hellish blast hitting the Nelson-class and cutting right through it.

"Whoa…" Adam Hyneman in the Junk guild ship Lead Zeppelin said in awe. "That was just awesome!"

"Thanks for the assist AA," Amon Rochefort in his ginn calls to the Archangel.

Murrue nods, "You're welcome."

"**Damn…"**

Sarah winces at what was the Barbarossa, it was reduced to nothing more than a heap of scrap.

Word of the Barbarossa's destruction quickly reaches Ivana, she frowns, without the support of that ship, attacking further was pointless.

The woman sighs, "All units, retreat."

Ivana breaks off from Regina's Wyvern, "Looks like you won yet again… you have very capable commanders."

"They're still learning," Regina answers. "Just like me."

The older woman nods, "That's good to hear, and I see you're quite good in a mobilesuit yourself."

Regina tilts her head forward, "I have good teachers."

Ivana kept silent, until she finally answers. "I'm happy for you."

The Eurasian officer's Long Dagger boosts away, "Keep them close to you, we'll meet again."

Regina smiles sadly as she watches her old friend leave. She was happy she was still alive, and heartbroken because were now seemingly enemies.

"Hopefully in better time and place…"

**Deciding to improvise, Jamie tossed one of his Cgue's shoulder shields at Dumas, temporarily dazing his Long Dagger.**

"What the?" Dumas said, a bit dizzy from the melee attack. "Can't seem to.."

Jamie thrusts his sword into the center of Dumas's Long Dagger.

"Mouar! Remy!" Dumas shouted, watching the blade from Jamie's sword penetrate further into the mobile suit. Drawing his beam saber out, Jamie watched his opponent with pitiless remorse as the disabled mobile suit exploded in front of him.

"Dumas!" Mouar yelled from her seat, she then sees signal flares fired.

Looking at the flames coming from her comrade's downed mobile suit, she gritted her teeth before telling her their next course of action.

"We have to retreat at once."

**The "ZAFT" were beginning to withdraw as well as the Archangel trains their guns on them **

"Informed those in front," Natarle barked. "Fire all Wombats as soon they're clear!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Michael gets the warning from the Archangel, he quickly patches a link to the Black Frame.

"Denise! Weave with me!"

"Huh?-!"

"Don't ask! Just follow my lead! Keeping fighting close with me!"

The black frame does exactly that, their scythes crossed constantly. They fought their out of the line of fire. Just as soon as they did, the Archangel fires a full broadside at the hostile mobilesuits, striking them multiple times severely damaging some, completely destroying others.

D.N. looked at the carnage, knowing full well that could have been her.

"Shit… Thanks bro…"

"Don't mention it…" Michael breathlessly, "That damn Badgiruel can get carried away sometimes…"

"You best be getting out of here."

"Right…" the black frame falls back, "I'll see you man."

The Siginarugan does the same, "Whatever, 'later."

"**Screw the ship!"**

Ash defiantly charges in, disregarding his own safety to attack Wynn. "I'm getting out of here without killing somebody!"

Wynn's eyes narrow, "Not if I kill you first."

She lets go of her beamrifle, she tightened the Wyvern's grip on the beam saber, while she pulls out an armor Schneider. The Wyvern makes a dash forward. She came in so fast that Ash had not time to react.

_You're dead, asshole_

Before the pilot could figure out what to do -or even notice, Wynn brought the beamsaber around in a horizontal cut, slicing completely through his sword. Wynn yells out a cry of frustration, she lets her anger out.

"_The said that the men that came had forced the family to watch my uncle's four sons tortured to death. They threatened my uncle that they'll do the same to his wives and daughters if kill them himself… It was the ultimate insult to the man's despair…"_

"_I wonder what those Blue Cosmos bastards would react when they see this…" _

_"I don't want any of you Coordinators acting friendly with me!"_

"Die!"

Using the Armor Schneider, she plunges it right through Ginn HM's midsection.

And as she breaks off, the GINN High Maneuver blew apart, sending chunks of debris and shrapnel everywhere.

**Antonio groans in the pain writhing throughout his body, it's too much.**

His eyes were now shut tight, there's no way he could dock the Zero safely into the hangar. He had no choice.

He blindly fumbles on the radio switching it to a general frequency. "Mayday, Mayday…"

"What?-!" Ens. Badgiruel snapped her head back at Mir, "What happened?-!"

Mir shook her head, "I don't know, he was fine a moment ago…"

"Somebody get to him!" Capt. Ramius calls.

"**I'm on it!"**

Michael responds immediately, after hearing it from Capt. Ramius.

She couldn't tell what happened, but somehow he knew what was going on. _Ant…_

Miyuki and Regina were already there. Together, they slowly guide the ship into the Archangel.

"Ant!" He yells, "You forgot to bring it with it didn't you?"

His friend chuckles weakly, "You can say that."

Michael sighs and turns his attention to Regina and Miyuki. "Capt. Dante, call Naomi, get her ready to treat him for over secretion symptoms."

"Roger."

Miyuki shook her head, apparently knowing what was going on, "Ton-ton… you idiot."

She smirks at him, "What on earth will I say to Natarle if you bought it?"

**The Zero was guided into the hangar**

Kira sees the crowd gathering around the Zero.

"Mr. Murdoch," he calls the senior mechanic. "What's going on?"

"The Lt. Colonel got hurt somehow, he gave a distress call just after the battle was over. I don't what happened to him though."

Antonio was helped out and placed on a stretcher, Naomi immediately goes to his side as she makes her way through the group that had gathered.

"You've really done it this time, commander."

He smirks at him, his were still shut. "Yeah… Look's that way."

"You've given everyone quite the scare," She continued, giving the first injection to his arm.

"Anton!"

Dr. Fletcher looks up for a moment, "You've even worried her."

Natarle Badgiruel runs toward the group, she gasps as she sees the blood that looked as though it had come from his eyes.

"What happened?-!"

Naomi looks at the UN officer she was treating, "Sir?"

He nods, "Its okay, Leonidas was declassified months ago anyway."

Natarle gives him a puzzled look, "Declassified? Leonidas?"

"It's an old military project Antonio and I here use to work. Antonio was one of project Leonidas' first subjects."

The XO stares at her blankly, just barely coping up with the information she was being given.

Naomi sees her confusion and decides to just give her the facts she needed to know right now. "Basically, Antonio has special glands implanted throughout his body. They secrete special chemical hormones which increase his physical attributes, strength, reflex, dexterity, stamina and physical endurance. Right now, the glands are over secreting. And if you'll excuse us…"

The medical team lifts the stretcher and begins bringing him to the medical ward, the black haired ensign goes with them.

"Natarle…" Antonio blindly reaches to her, she holds his hand. "Sorry… If I scared you…"

The young ensign guides the hand to her face, letting him stroke her.

"Anton…" She sighs, relieved he was largely okay. "You idiot…"

**Several hours after the battle**

The gathering of supplies had been completed, there was only one thing left for the crews to do before they all leave.

Mir, accompanied by Kira and the Strike, stood on a rock in a normal suit just in front of the remains of Junius Seven, in her arms were several dozen origami flowers made by the Heliopolis students and the children of the refugees. She lets them all go, letting them float away.

Everyone else, the military men, the Heliopolis survivors, the peacekeepers and Junk Guildsmen, all gave their respects by saluting or placing a hand over the chest.

In the Archangel, Murrue Ramius, despite being in uniform, held her hand against her chest, holding a small coffin like pendant.

Natarle Badgiruel mumbled the Angelus, something she hadn't done for sometime now.

In Basilisk, a gun salute was being performed. Antonio was the one who lead the platoon, yelling out the commands. Despite his eyes being bandaged, stood in a ramrod straight posture in full UNAAF blue uniform, something he rarely wore, instead of the usual military fatigue. He held his old West Point saber issued to him when graduated. Wynn stood next to him, she wore her old ZAFT red uniform saluting in the ZAFT way. The rest of the team all wore the blue uniform like their commander.

In the Lead Zeppelin, Jamie and Adam both wore their old Spartan Guard uniforms complete with the trench coat. Amon wore his old green uniform.

February 14th was supposed to be a day of love…

And of compassion…

Now it was tarnished with hate, pain and grief.

**Miyuki took a deep breath before she waits for the elevator that led to the bridge of the Archangel.**

She made up her mind.

"_Stop running away from what you done, take responsibility for your actions, only then will you find salvation for you and your friend."_

Miyuki sighed, rubbing her head. _Ivana's right… she deserves to know… even if it means destroying our friendship._

As luck would have ad it, when the elevator door opened, she finds herself face to face with her dear friend, Murrue Ramius.

"Oh, Hi Yuki, I was wondering where you were at, so decided to come looking for you."

Murrue looks at what her friend was wearing, "I see you've dressed for the occasion…"

Her friend wore her white officer's uniform. She friend gives her a forced smile, "Sempai…"

The acting captain notices something about her, "Yuki… is there something wrong…?"

Miyuki's face fell, she sighs, taking something out of her coat. Murrue's eyes widen and she gasps, instantly recognizes what it was.

She had seen it only several times in the database, in several grainy images, when Miyuki had told her weeks ago about her. The black angel holding a scythe and a red rose on the left. It was the mask of Morrigan Legna, "Death's favorite daughter".

"Sempai… I have a confession to make…"

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**A/N:** This one's heaven compared to the last two, I didn't have to change perspectives so much. Well… the cat's out of the bag, poor captain Ramius knows Yuki's little secret. The plot thickens somewhat with Darren's murder. And we find out what happens when Antonio doesn't administer Gamma Gliphalium on time. A bull's eye has been placed on the AA with Le Creuset, Gurlukovich and an unknown third party all going after it. Yet another character from Gundams series past, Mouar Pharaoh was a fairly important minor character in MS Gundam Zeta. Admittedly, the Black Astray Frame was a bit of a last minute addition to the story.

Please R & R.


	14. Phase11: Behind the scenes

**A/N: **Hey all, sorry for the long hiatus, I've been busy for the last couple of months. Just a few cameos of the regular Seed characters in this one, this chapter is going to be a largely OC and non-canon character focused affair. Well, I guess I should cut to the chase and get it over with…

**Phase 11: Behind the scenes**

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**Archangel, Captain's Office**

Lt. Col. Naomi Fletcher stands in front of the captain's desk, Captain Ramius sat behind the desk, Ens. Badgiruel and Lt. La Flaga were on either of the captain. She was going to explain to them the project behind the Spartans.

"Project Leonidas, no. 0069-1060317F also know as the Project Spartan." Naomi says as she present the officers with a cache of files uploaded on her PDA. "The project started 10 years ago, its purpose was to be exploratory probe into biological and cybernetic enhancement on Naturals for use in the military. Subjects of the project have special glands implanted which they can voluntarily activate. Once activated, special hormones are secreted throughout the body. When that happens, the subject enters a temporary state, where he or she can perform several times more than normal capacity at times beyond the capacity of a coordinator. Their reflexes, decision functions and five senses are all heightened; physical strength, stamina and endurance is doubled, in some cases can also be tripled. In rare cases, subjects are able gain Spatial Awareness through constant use."

"However," Naomi continues. "There's a flipside, if a subject stays in this state too long, they'll start suffering the side effects. This starts out as severe pain and bleeding through out the body, then hallucinations, after a while they'll start vomiting out blood and bile."

"There are several more…" Naomi notices the faces the officers were making at the images of the symptoms just described. "But I don't really think you need to know. And in case you're wondering, those men were death row convicts scheduled to die that day, not soldiers."

"Right…" Mu cringes at the very graphic images.

"A healthy body subject's body can eventually counteract this, however it takes days for first timers and if use is longer than 8 minutes," The Lt. Colonel then shows them the syringe containing the neon blue liquid. "This is used to speed that up. Gamma Gliphalium, it's either taken in orally or injected into the bloodstream, what it does is to force the glands to stop secreting immediately. This has to be applied normally about ten minutes after the gland is activated. If they don't take it after twenty, they'll be forced to take a more heavy duty treatment."

"So that's the reason…" Mu mutters. "Even back when Ant was training me in a Moebius Zero, he always took those things after a tough sortie. I've always thought they were steroids or something."

"How did Antonio get involved in the project?" Natarle asks.

"He volunteered actually," The medical officer replies.

Natarle raises an eyebrow, "He did?"

Naomi nods.

"I see… I understand, please continue."

"At the start, there were only four subjects, Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire, Mjr. Michael Takahashi, Adm. Anya Samsonov and retired Col. Nathaniel Wolfthorne, technically they were volunteers but they were what remained after they and forty two others were thoroughly screened. After the project lasted for couple of years and made quite a lot of progress, we expanded the research to other fields, including medical use for the civilian sector. We began accepting more volunteers with varying ages, ethnic backgrounds, race, blood type, etcetera."

"Eventually, the high brass from Orb, EU, Scandinavia and Oceania, wanted to organize the subjects of the project into military units."

Naomi taps a button on her PDA to show the Spartan's Emblem, a classical Greco-Spartan helmet facing to the left, a sword and spear crossed behind it and an olive crown encircled around it. On the top of the emblem was the official name of the unit, Special Guards Division, on the bottom of the emblem was the unit's motto in Latin, 'Invictus', 'Unconquerable'.

"And like they say, 'the rest is history.'"

Whilst browsing through the files her terminal, Murrue comes across an image of a woman is shown, her face was round but seem, she had long blonde hair which was tied in a ponytail and eyes colored turquoise blue, shaped that of almonds. The smile she had on her face was warm and inviting.

"Who's this?"

Naomi goes to her see what she looking at, "Mjr. Julian Weather, she was the one who started this all. She's a member of IMSR (Institute of Medical and Scientific Research) of and an M.D."

Just then, Naomi's cellphone rings. "Excuse me… Fletcher…?"

The Archangel's officers see that her face then shows a look of surprise, which quickly turns to annoyance. "Oh of all the…! Oh no, no… it's alright I'll look for him myself… thanks for telling, just take care of others."

She sighs in exasperation, she quickly composes herself to Captain Ramius. "Sorry Captain, I have to leave now, I have to go look for a certain patient of mine."

Murrue nods, a little unsure on what was going. "Yes you may, thank you Lt. Col. Fletcher."

"You're welcome ma'am," Naomi salutes. "If there's anything else you want to know, it's in the most probably in the file."

She was about to leave the room when Badgiruel calls her.

"Let me guess," The ensign shows a dimpled smile. "It's Anton, isn't it?"

Naomi smiles tiredly back, "Yup."

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**Somewhere in the Libyan Desert, African Community **

The young girl who had accompanied Michael and Antonio looked on at a camp that was set up under the shadow of a large mesa several miles north of Banadiya.

Her name was Cagalli Yula Athha, daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha, the present chief representative of Orb. She was accompanied by her bodyguard, Col. Ledonir Kisaka a rather large man who once lived in these parts, his dark skin was testament to that. Also accompanying them, were men of the Desert Dawn, an anti-ZAFT resistance group. Among them, was a man in his middle ages, who seem to be in charge of the group. He had a thick black beard and wore a green bandana, there was a scar on his left cheek, which was partially concealed by his beard. He was Sahib, leader of the Desert Dawn. Also, there was a young teen named Ahmed, he was just as old as Cagalli. He held his assault rifle with nervous anticipation. The sun glared angrily over their heads, all of them were sweating profusely, even though they lived in this desert.

The camp they were watching wasn't theirs, it belonged to a contingent force of Blue Cosmos. They were no friend of the Desert Dawn, in fact, most of the men saw them no different to ZAFT and the Desert Tiger. Their interest however was who was supposed to coming here, word in Banadiya was the Desert Tiger was going to attack the camp. Normally that only seemed significant unless when they were attempting an ambush on the ZAFT commander. This time however, they were here to watch him, he was going to use two mercenaries he had hired on the camp.

Cagalli scanned the horizon, looking for the distingue outline of the Lesseps. She, Kisaka and Sahib all wanted to see what the mercenaries can do. From she had learned in Banadiya, there were only two of them. Both of them however were supposed to be excellent pilots, veterans of the Eurasian-Pacific conflict. What troubled her was the fact that one may be a Spartan, and soon the Tiger may set him loose against them.

**About several kliks south east of the camps position**

The Tiger's Lesseps-class land carrier moves seamlessly over the desert sands, it was escorted by four TMF/A-802 BuCUEs that walked beside it. There were also two mobilesuits standing on top of the land carrier. One was a EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire in Dragonfly configuration, it was colored generally black and grey. It had an insignia on its right shoulder, a grinning wolf looking sideward, biting on a sword, "S. Guards Division, 1st Corps," was inscribed below it.

The other was the Hyperion, similar to what had decimated the ZAFT force during the Odessa operation.

Vincent had made some slight modifications on the unit, it was now sporting an aerial maneuver pack to make it capable of over boosting and flight for short distances. It now also had a sword rack to hold the Durandal.

"I don't get it…" Kirkwood said to his fellow BuCUE pilots. "Why did the commander bother hiring those guys? We're just doing fine as we are."

"Who knows," Maylam another pilot replied. "They're supposed to be some really top talent."

Kirkwood snorts, "Yeah, I wonder if they're any good out here?"

"More than you'll ever be," The deep voice of Andrew Waltfeld replied to his question. He was riding on the passenger side of a jeep his second-in-command Martin DaCosta was driving.

"C-commander… I-I didn't mean to…"

"It's all right," The ZAFT commander said. "If you must know, I hired those two as an auxiliary detachment. They're going to operate separately to the normal unit."

"That is," Martin continued as Waltfeld turns off the radio. "If they're any good."

"Oh that's not really a worry," the tiger replied. "Those two are some of the best, both knew the 'Todes Jaeger' well. One was his one of his Pilus Priors and the other was his nemesis."

Martin looks at corner of his eye for one moment, "Nemesis?"

Andy nods, "Vincent Allen Schellezar, the Bloody Joker, he was one of members of the Eurasian Konig Kobra special forces unit. We knew him better by his unit callsign, Black Sorrow."

His protégé nods, recognizing the name quickly, Black Sorrow was a Eurasian credited for single handedly taking down an entire ZAFT expeditionary unit in Scandinavia back during the last war. "His partner is also well-known I believe?"

"I'm surprised you never heard him," the ZAFT commander replied. "He's one of the best pilots of the Water Corps. Master Pierce Rayer, 'O Lykos', that's Greek for 'the Wolf'. He's better known as the –"

"Beast of Kaohsiung," DaCosta nods as he finished. "I've heard."

Waltfeld brings up his binoculars looking for the target for the day. "We should be close… Tell them to get ready."

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**It was still early morning in Septemberius Four**

Eileen places her hand on where thought Visch was, but her hand finds nothing, Eileen lifts he head, discovering Visch wasn't there at all.

"Visch…?"

She quickly something on the table on his side of the bed, a piece of paper on top it was a small box. She pulls herself to where was, and gets hold of both items. The box was the type jewelers used, Eileen opens the box and finds a jeweled brooch, shaped that of a flower. The petals were formed with 7 blue gems embedded in a silver backing, she turns the brooch over to find an engraving of a poem.

_By all these lovely tokens_

_September days are here_

_With summer's best of weather_

_And autumn's best of cheer_

Eileen then looks at the note, she quickly recognizes the handwriting as that of Visch's.

_September was once the seventh month of year in the old Roman calendar, hence, the Latin word it came from, septum, means seven._

_Happy birthday, Blue eyes, I would have got you something with your birthstone but most of the quotes for February were just too damn cheesy. _

_Besides, ever since we got the 'Valentine present' it didn't think it's appropriate._

_I just went out to do a few things, I'll be back ten._

_You're man, Visch_

Eileen smiles as she read the note, "He remembered…" She closes the box and leaves it on her side of the bed, the councilwoman then heads to bathroom and takes a shower.

**Visch took the monorail to spaceport,**

He had left Eileen's home rather early, he didn't want to let you know where he was going. Today was the day he was to meet up with Grey.

Visch yawns loudly, not bothering to cover his mouth as he was the only one in the passenger car. The Zaft veteran didn't have much sleep the night before, he was too busy thinking about the meeting. He felt his arrangement with Grey, maybe it's just because he was used to Zaft red tape but it felt a little too easy. Could he walking into a trap?

Visch rubbed his eye patch, he can't help but heed to the feeling he had. But then again, instincts are like everything else, half of the time they're right, half of the time they're wrong.

**Januarius Six, half an hour later**

It didn't take to long for Visch to find the meeting spot, a small café in the middle of downtown. Visch however didn't go straight there, he has the cab he was riding stop several blocks away, he then begins walking. To get rid of any tails that maybe following him, he first walks randomly and in circles for a while, forcing anyone following him to reveal themselves to him. A half hour later, he was satisfied and heads straight to the meeting point.

The café itself was a pretty out of the way place, the reason why Visch found it easily was because he had the address. He knocks at the door, tapping the glass four times, then three, two and finally one. The door opens, he was greeted by a waitress. Visch's eyebrow rises slightly, he could've sworn he saw her somewhere…

"Please come in sir," the young girl says courteously, Visch does so. So far so good, things were going fine…. until he felt something hard suddenly prodded against his back.

"Commander Donahue, please don't move," The young waitress says. "Elsa."

"Right," Another waitress searches Visch, she takes his sidearm and three clips and his cellphone. "We'll give you these back later, sir."

After a little more searching, Elsa was satisfied. "He's clean."

"Well you missed a few spots," the other waitress quips with a grin and raised eyebrow.

"Meg!" Elsa yells indignantly, she was flushing intensely.

Visch smirks, "So… can I see Grey now?"

"**Well, well, well…"**

Grey says as he sees his old teammate. "Look what the cat drugged in. C'mon, make yourself at home."

Visch enters the back room, it was a small, well worn office, he saw a lot of old pictures of the Swords, back when they've been formed in 67. Back then, the team was made up of him, Miyuki, Lenneth, Eileen, Grey, Andrew Waltfeld and Aisha. Visch smiles slightly as the pictures reminded him of simpler times.

Grey notes of this and remarks, "Yes, every time I'm here, I'm much living in the past."

Visch gives him a smirk, "Essentially this is your happy place, I never thought you've be one to be sentimental."

"Touché," The masked officer chuckled.

"**I guess you want a lowdown of what happening behind scenes," Grey says suddenly.**

His jovial tone was gone, replaced by a serious one, signaling to Visch it was time to get back to business.

Visch nods again, "Yeah…"

"I can tell right now," Grey sighs, settling into his chair. "It isn't pretty."

He eyes Visch as he goes to his desk for files he gathered, "Does Ellie know what your doing?"

"No…" The one-eyed team commander frowns at the question, "Why…? Is she…?"

"Nah," Grey quickly says. "It's not what you think, she's completely loyal to old Siegel, I'm just wondering how she's doing these days."

"Pretty well," Visch replies, easing himself back into his chair, "Though the rigors of her position seem to grind her down a bit."

"That's common for politicians, but knowing her, she must be overworking herself to death."

"Well anyway," Grey then says, going back to the files, he hands them to Visch. "Here"

Visch immediately opens the folder, what he sees are a list of serial numbers and names with corresponding security codes. He recognizes the document as a personnel file showing where troops were being scheduled to move.

It didn't seem to be out of the ordinary, so Visch looks at his former colleague a raised eyebrow. "So…?"

"Look at it more closely," Grey replies, "To be specific, look at which are units being moved and their destinations."

Visch does so, at first he didn't see anything wrong with them, he was about to say something to Grey when he sees it. He frowns, most of the unit and personnel serial numbers had the series 071-02 in them, meaning they just been commissioned that month and these units and men were being sent to stop-over points on their way to active fronts.

"What the hell…?" Visch says, "Why's high command sending green troops into the hot zones?"

"The high command and the NDC are planning to expand the war," Grey replied bluntly, "It's a response to the new weapons the Alliance have developed"

Visch scowls, "What? Troop deployment is already spread thin as it is and sending fresh troops to the main fronts is going to cost us," He points out.

Grey shrugs, "They want to break our current stalemate with the Alliance before the new machines will into mass-production. Zala's been pressuring Clyne to approve Operation Spitbreak for months, be thankful Siegel's holding him off. If the situation doesn't change, the proposal will be thrown out, even with the discovery in Heliopolis."

"IF the situation doesn't change?" Visch sourly parrots, "You and me both know that the situation IS going to change."

Visch sighs, sinking into his chair. "Ah, forget it. It's not as if severe loss of life is a new thing… Anyway, what can you tell me of the GENESIS project anyway?"

Grey tilts his head slightly sideways, "Oh? Yuki told you about GENESIS?"

"Enough to know that it's now one giant death star."

Grey seems to stare at him for a several moments, he then nods. "I see, very well. Where do you want to start?"

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**Meanwhile… elsewhere in space,**

"Richards," Captain Anya Samsonov calls inside the UNAAF carrier group flagship, Agares. "What the status of the units?"

"Unit one is ready, the other ships have also already confirmed. We're ready to begin."

Anya nods, she sifts through her papers for the required activation codes. She comes across the memorandum given to her earlier by 2nd Fleet Admiral John Lawson. It was a warning of her rash actions during the Aprilius One exchange, though personally the Admiral commended her actions, the high command were understandably a little jumpy of these types of action since the Heliopolis incident.

Une absently crumbled the note with right hand, she did so with a calm face.

Back in the day when she was still member of the Leonidas project, she would have torn that paper in fit of rage. At the start, the Spartan was just the four of them, Mike, Antonio, Nathaniel and her. Back then, she was a quite condescending and autocratic, she looked down at everyone who was not of noble birth, seeing them as inferior more or less. Her three fellow Spartan Eternals taught her otherwise, opening her eyes to what people can do.

"All Units commence Operation Meteor," The officer in CIC relays the message, a general count down begins.

Une finds what she's looking for and speaks out again, "All XG-Units, I'm sending your respective security codes."

**Five pilots receive the transmission, they were each in different ships all over across Earth's orbit.**

They were all equipped for orbital descent, all wore the protective masks and their mobilesuits were all encased in specially made re-entry pods, their units couldn't fit properly in the ZAFT-made ones.

Their units were G-unit prototypes just like the ones in Heliopolis, except these were completely made in Scandinavia by the Royal Arms Bureau, the kingdom's chief arms manufacturer. The pilots were all specially picked for this job, all of them were good soldiers that have remarkable records from the last war.

But what really made them special was their unit designations, all of them were members of the Equatorial Union's dreaded Sapientes Arcanum, "Order of the Arcane" also as known the Arcani and as the Black Immortals for the black painted mobile suits they used during the Eurasian-Pacific war. They were just like Spartans but with one major difference, they were coordinators.

While Project Leonidas was focused on work with Naturals, the Arcani was a separate project done by the Equatorial Union to see the results of Coordinators integrated with the Spartan's special implants. Needless to say, they were quite effective, though the Arcani is relatively smaller in number compared to the Spartans.

**Capt. Samsonov calls them via a relayed feed**

"Your primary objective is testing the capabilities of your respective units. Secondary objectives shall be given to you by your support unit when you rendezvous with them. As Arcani, I will permit you use any means to accomplish your mission. As usual, excessive loss of civilian life shall not be tolerated."

"Yes captain," All five Arcani responds.

The captain nods as the countdown was nearing zero, "Good luck to all of you."

At the same time she says this, the five pods were launched. Operation Meteor has begun.

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**Back in Libya,**

"Vince, I have a visual." Pierce calls via radio from his open cockpit, he eyes the target with binoculars. It would have been easier if he just used his mobilesuit's scanners, but since they're close to a cluster of N-jammers, most sensors and scanners are hampered by the inference when in close range, it was impossible.

"This won't be too hard," he commented. "They have a few missile launchers. I see a tank on the east side, that's pretty much all their heavy fire power. Their hand-carried anti-armor's probably just 50 cal. MG's and Stingers."

"That's not much," Vincent commented. "Should the two of us bother even going out there? This is going to be a turkey shoot for even just one of us."

"Might as well, do it anyway." Pierce replies, "We'd want to give a good impression on our potential boss."

"Right…" Vince sits in his cockpit rubbing his hands. "So… do you have any sort of plan for this one?"

"Are you kidding?" Pierce smirked, "Do what you want. Just think of this as practice with live rounds."

"Copy."

**By now, both the Desert Dawn and the Blue Cosmos had spotted the Lesseps**

The Blue Cosmos soldiers were scrambling to their defensive positions, whilst the Desert Dawn were all hunkered down to watch the fireflies.

Cagalli notes that the tiger's forces weren't combat ready, the BuCUEs were set in a defensive formation protecting the Lesseps. She then sees the two mobilesuits on top of the ZAFT Land Carrier.

"One Equatorial Legionnaire, it looks pretty old, looks like a 69 model." She said looking through pair binoculars. "And another mobilesuit, I never seen this one before… it must be a prototype."

"Is it one of the prototypes from Heliopolis?" Sahib asked.

She shook her head, "No… the basic frames are similar, but don't think so."

"Wasn't there suppose to have been another prototype that fought in somewhere in East Eurasia?" Sahib asked.

"It's a possibility," Cagalli replied, she was scanning through the two mobilesuits for the last time when she notices the insignia on the Legionnaire's shoulder. She frowns at the sight of it.

Ahmed notices this, "Is there something wrong?"

Cagalli doesn't answer at first until after several moments, "The pilot of the Legionnaire is might just be a Spartan… a Water Corps member to be more exact."

"Do you know which one?" Sahib asked as he uses his own binoculars to see the insignia.

"No… most Spartans use different insignias, but I can tell what rank he may have been. The sword on the wolf's teeth is the Spartan rank symbol for 'Pilus Prior.' The Corp's designation is under the wolf, Antonio only picks the best to hold a position like that."

"I see…"Sahib kept calm despite hearing this, "But we still can't be sure of this man is even actually a Spartan, until he fights."

Cagalli nods, she then looks at the direction of the Lesseps. Personally, she hoped it was just some poser. She didn't want fight someone who may be close to her dear friend and mentor. And in addition, Spartans, even the lowest ranked ones, were dangerous opponents.

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**Back up in the Archangel, Captain's Office**

Lt Col. Fletcher had left the office together with Ens. Badgiruel to look for her commanding officer, who was supposed to be resting in the infirmary. Capt. Ramius and Lt. La Flaga both remain in the office, going through the Project files.

"They've covered a lot of bases with this," Mu mutters as goes through several pages. "Combat performance in different terrains, climate, underwater, space… resistance of the body and brain during stressful situations… active combat evaluation and tactical leadership of subjects during enhanced state… Metabolic and recovery rate of subjects during enhanced state…"

Murrue shakes as she goes her head as goes through files in her terminal, "This is a very major project, it's amazing that they've covered so much ground in just several years. The Spartan Guard was formed 6 years after the project was started, right"

"And the Doc wasn't kidding when she said volunteers were thoroughly screened," The blonde mobile armor pilot mutters as he reads a personnel file report. "There were a lot of guys who volunteered, but looks like only one out of twenty are taken in. And most of the guys who taken in were already hardened vets. Looks like you have to be the next best thing to sign up."

Mu shakes his head, "No chance in hell would I make the grade."

Murrue rests her head on her palms as they were planted on the desk, "Makes you wonder how much of a piece of work the Lt. Colonel was when he joined in."

Mu chuckles, "He must've been the reincarnation of Audi Murphy, especially since he's the project's very first volunteer."

"Maybe he got in through Dr. Weather," Murrue suggests with a smirk. "Take a look at this."

Mu goes to her side, on the terminal he sees an old images that show the four Spartan Eternals and several Spartans, Naomi and Julian Weather all having good time in what looked a night club. A picture in particular caught his eyes, it was of Antonio playfully cuddling the project director, they seemed to look very close.

Mu grins at the find, "How did you…"

"Dr. Fletcher probably downloaded it by mistake," Murrue couldn't help but laugh. "He's already a flirt back then… Looks like some things never change."

Mu laughs with her, "Yeah, the poor ensign, hope she can put with him."

"They've been steady for a year," the brunette captain reminds him. "She's probably doing fine."

The mobile armor then looks at him mischievously, "How 'bout you?"

Murrue looks at him with a question look, "What about me?"

"Oh c'mon," Mu prods at her. "You like 'em too don't you?"

"Of course I like him, I…" Murrue's eyes widen as she quickly realizes what he meant, a blush starts to form in her face. "No! I-I do like him… but as a friend…!"

Mu nods, "Suuure… that's what they all say…"

"Lt. La Flaga!"

**Archangel, Hangar**

Kira was as usual, inside the cockpit of the Strike, making yet more adjustments on the Operating System. Wynn, who had finished making regular maintenance on her Wyvern, goes to see him.

"Hey partner," She as gets up to the cockpit. "Working on your OS again?"

Kira looks up, "Yeah… I'm just tinkering here and there… I guess it just turned to habit."

"Well keep at it," His friend replies. "It's a good way to get to know your machine. Well, at least until we finally bring the Archangel into actual friendly forces."

Wynn's smile then vanishes, "And hopefully, we don't have to fight the Le Creuset team anymore."

Her eyes met his, Kira sighs, knowing what she meant.

"Me too, Wynn."

Athrun was on both pilot's minds, they haven't met since their chance encounter in Heliopolis, hopefully it'll stay that way.

"I hope so too."

"I wouldn't be sure about that," a voice calls from below them, from the base of the Strike.

Both of them look down to find Antonio Le Saint Claire, wearing his usual fatigue uniform. He was also a pair of heavily tinted glasses, his eyes still haven't fully recovered from the last battle, they're sensitive to the light.

"Sir…" Wynn salutes, surprised by his presence. "Shouldn't you be in the in infirmary?"

"Thanks for you concern," he gives her a wink. "But that can wait."

Wynn sighs, shaking her head, "Yes sir."

"What's the status of the Chimera, Lieutenant?" Her commander asks.

"It's still under repair sir," She replies. "It took quite a tool from the last battle. Mr. Murdoch and crew have just finished repairing the phase shift armor, but they're still working battery wiring and the mirage colloid emitters. Ms. Kajiura had been spending the last few days restoring the Chimera and Sol Striker, she's… a little miffed at you."

Antonio rolls his eyes, "I can imagine."

He turns his attention to the young coordinator in the Strike's cockpit. "You must be Kira Yamato, we haven't really talked since Heliopolis haven't we?"

Kira nods, a little unsure on how to respond, "No, we haven't."

"Well, I guess I should reintroduce myself," He gives him his hand. "Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire, unit commander of UNAAF Special Taskforce Bravo. I'm Wynn's superior."

The young coordinator nods again, taking his hand. "Nice to see you sir."

"I'd like to thank you for helping us out." Antonio continues, "I understand this is all well beyond what you should be doing, hopefully I can repay you for your services when this is all over."

Kira shook his head, "Thanks… But its okay that I'm just helping out, I'm not expecting anything in return. Just being able to protect my friends is enough."

Antonio nods at his response, "I see… They must really be close for you to go to this much trouble."

"They are."

"Well keep them very close to you," Antonio pats him on the shoulder.

"Y'know…" he continues, leaning on the side of the cockpit door. "I've been looking on your combat data from the last few battles…"

When she heard this, Wynn suddenly felt uneasy. _Did he come here for that reason?_

"…needless to say I'm quite impressed."

Kira frowns, apparently knowing where this was going. "No, I'm not joining the Alliance or the UNAAF, I'm just piloting this suit because I had to."

"I'm not trying to recruit you," Antonio eyes him.

"Then why do you sound like you are," Kira voice was starting to be defensive.

"Sir…" Wynn starts, trying support her friend, but she quickly stops as Antonio held his hand up.

"I'm just curious." He replies.

"Curious about what?" Kira asks suspiciously.

"When I first met you in Heliopolis. You handle a mobilesuit like you have been in one for years. It's an accomplishment to just out maneuver some of ZAFT's elite pilots let alone beat them, yet you've managed to take several pilots down during Heliopolis. You can match wits with Moebius Zero pilot without sustaining as much as a scratch. And from what I understand, until just recently, you're supposed to be just a working high school student from Heliopolis."

Kira notes that the Lt. Colonel's look was very hard to read. He was just speaking to his in a casual manner.

"Even if you're coordinator, I'm finding it a little hard to believe." He looks into the young boy's eyes, "Are you sure you're not hiding anything?"

"Sir!" Wynn didn't like how her commander was treating her friend. "You shouldn't be interrogating him, he hasn't done anything wrong."

"If hasn't done anything wrong," Antonio responds in an even voice. "Then he shouldn't have a problem answering me."

Wynn bit her lip, he had a point.

He turns his attention back to Kira, "Well Kira?"

Kira looks down the terminal, "I…" He didn't really know what to say. He didn't have answers himself. "I don't know myself… It just seem to come to me… when I was pushed against the wall with no where to go, something in me just seems to click on. I… I… can't explain it any other way."

Antonio studies him, nothing told him the kid was lying, either he was telling the truth, or he was also a splendid actor.

"Is that so?" He says after a while, he tone was a little gentler. "I guess I can reason that part out… now there's the part of those radio transmissions."

Kira and Wynn both look at him with raise eyebrows. "Radio transmissions?" Both say in unison.

Antonio looks at them, "During Heliopolis, the Strike has made several communications links with the captured unit, Aegis."

Both teens stare at him in shock, but didn't say anything.

"I came across them when Luke and I were checking the combat data of your units." Antonio explains, "I haven't told it to anyone in the bridge yet."

"Luke said there were attempts in erasing that data, fortunately he was still able to retrieve them. Though I found he was a bit reluctant. I had a feeling he was covering for you guys." The thirty-two year old UN officer switches to a softer tone. "I need you two to tell me the truth, I'm trying to help you here. Please come clean with me now, I'll decide what'll happen next then."

Both Kira and Wynn were taken aback by this, they have been caught.

Kira looks at his friend. Wynn sighs, "Its okay Kira, I'll tell him."

"No, I will." Kira looks at Antonio and gathers his courage. "I'm sorry sir."

He tells him about Athrun, how they and Wynn were such close friends, how hard it was for him to be forced to fight his dear friend. Antonio listens intently, nodding occasionally.

After Kira was finished, the first thing Antonio was look at Wynn. "Y'know, I could've helped you two if you just went to me. What? You didn't trust me?"

Wynn looks down at the floor, "I… I'm sorry sir…" Her tone was very ashamed, she knew Antonio was a very trusting person, it wasn't easy for her at all to keep their secret from him. "I… just thought…"

Antonio gently places a hand on shoulder, shushing her gently like he was her daughter. "It's okay, you weren't sure how I'd react, I can understand that."

"So…" Kira begins, "Are you going to…"

The older pilot shakes his head, "No, I won't. Don't worry."

"I grilled you because I thought you were a ZAFT agent." Antonio explains, "It's a natural assumption if you look at the facts in a military point of view. I wanted to make sure this isn't just a plain misunderstanding."

Wynn nods, "You could have just reported it to the Captain if wanted… thank you sir."

"So…" Kira nervously inquires, "What's going to happen now?"

Antonio smirks, "Nothing. There's technically nothing wrong anyway."

"Besides," he gives them a disk, then winks. "That is the only record left of the Strike's communication with Aegis."

Kira looks at the disk, flabbergasted. "Th-thank you sir. I don't know how to…"

"Just keep up your excellent performance," Antonio replies in his usual cheery, laid-back tone. "And from now on, you and Wynn will be the only ones who'll engage the Aegis."

The two friends look at other, surprised and smiling at their good fortune. "Thank you sir!" Both said.

"No prob," Antonio grins.

They then hear the much annoyed voice of Naomi Fletcher calling out his name.

"Do me ONE favor," The veteran pilot cautiously leaves the cockpit. "I wasn't here."

Both gladly nod.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Somewhere in Southern Iceland, Atlantic Federation**

"Sierra One, this is Blade," The pilot of the first unit, SK/XG-01W Wing calls, "Have landed safely."

"I've encountered an OMNI-Enforcer patrol, I've dealt with them accordingly." The Wing's head look over the remains of the helicopters that respond to the descent, "I have not made contact with my support. I repeat, I have not made contact with my…"

The pilot spots what looked like a GAT-01D Long Dagger, as soon as spots it, the dagger pulls out one of his beamsabers.

"Sierra One, I've got company. Not the friendly kind." He calls his handler, "I'll get back to you in a moment."

The Wing, stows away its beamrifle and pulls out its own beamsaber from under its shield, he boosts toward the dagger with full thrust of the wings. The Long Dagger uses its saber to parry the incoming attack. He also uses its shield to block the Wing's saber, as though he knew that the Wing was more powerful than his own unit. The dagger uses the impact of the charge to push itself away, he then charges in to counterattack with a thrust. The Wing sidesteps it, and counters with a downward cut. The Long Dagger blocks this with its shield, he then goes in for another thrust. Just the dagger did so, the Wing pulls back quickly, thanks to the thrusters in its wings.

"Obviously, you haven't slouching in your regular training," The Long Dagger calls suddenly, "Heero Yuy."

Heero quickly recognizes the voice of the Long Dagger's pilot and says in a somewhat annoyed tone, "Zechs Merquise…"

Zechs chuckles at the younger man's tone, "Sounds like you're happy to see me."

The young coordinator ignores the comment and asks, "What's with the Long Dagger?"

"This piece was captured during operations in Odessa," Zech replies. "The brass wanted me to use it so as to throw our friends in OMNI out of the loop."

Heero nods, "Copy, so what's out objective?"

"As usual, no nonsense and straight to business," The former Wind corps 2nd in command says, "It's no wonder my cousin likes you."

In the cockpit of the Wing, Heero winces slightly but does not say anything.

"Our objective is to hit a base under construction near here. It's an OMNI-Enforcer base but the Eurasians currently have full control of it. According to our data from Odessa, they're using the base's facilities as temporary research post. It's possible they have Gamma Gliphalium chambers. Objective is to take those out."

"Any Intel on our welcome wagon?"

"A little," Zech replies. "They got the usual conventional hardware plus super spearheads, there may be Longs D's and coordinators mercs with different variation ZAFT mobilesuits."

"Okay," Heero answers simply. "When do we start?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Somewhere off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, Republic of East Asia **

"Sierra One, this is Scythe," The pilot of the second unit, SK/XG-02D Deathscythe calls, "My unit has landed in one piece, and we've just rendezvoused with our support."

Duo Maxwell looks out his cockpit across the deck of the transport carrier he was on. His companions, several Special Forces technicians from the EU, began prepping up several EMP bombs, they were relatively small compared to Gungnir but still very capable to cause havoc with electronic devices.

"Duo," D.N. Lockwood, the pilot of Astray Black frame walks toward the Deathscythe's side. "We better take your boy below deck for now. Most of the defenses in the base are airborne, they got a lot of airborne surveillance."

"Right," Duo moves his unit toward the deck elevator.

After stowing away the Deathscythe, D.N. and Duo both go over the plan.

"While we take care of the base defenses," D.N. says as she shows Duo the layout of the base. "Your team will concentrate on our main objective, the converted missile bunker on the center of the base. The thing is an underground research facility the Eurasian are using to something similar to what was found in Odessa."

"The thing's a basic reinforced concrete/ steel structure on the outside that's just the shell. Below that, is real thing," She continues. "The steel shield covering it is designed to take a direct hit from a nuke. But a couple of M8 hollowed charges should be enough to pierce it."

"After that," Duo finishes. "It's just a case of dropping the EMP packs and get the hell out of dodge."

"This should be over in just minutes."

Duo nods, "Yeah, this shouldn't be too hard. Still, we better be careful over there when the fireworks start flying."

"That's goes double to you, Duo," a bespectacled, dark brown haired woman wearing a mechanic's uniform next to D.N. said as she adjusts her glasses.

"Oh c'mon Reese," Duo gripes. "Don't be so uptight."

"Hmph, you'd be dead if I wasn't." Reese Vickers snorts, she was one of D.N.'s regular partners when it came to her jobs. She was a coordinator, formerly from the Plants, she had been in ZAFT until she left in 69CE.

Duo brushes her off, "Yeah, yeah whatever."

D.N. rolls her eyes, "Oh c'mon you guys, we're supposed to a team here. Can you two at least try getting along?"

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**North of Gdansk, Poland, Eurasian Federation**

"Sierra One, this is Crossbow," The pilot of the third unit, SK/XG-03H Heavy Arms calls, "I have landed safely, I am about to link with my support."

Just as he said that, Xuiying Hong's Tallgeese and several Leos walk toward him. The Leos had olive drab camouflage paint over them to match to their surroundings as the area they were in was a heavily wooded. The Tallgeese was draped with heavy camo netting.

"Ballista," The Equatorial officer calls the G-unit. "Have you landed without problems?"

"Affirmative ma'am," The pilot replies simply. "All systems are functioning normally."

Xuiying nods, "Good, let's move out then."

The Heavy Arms joins the group, walking beside the Tallgeese.

"Our target is an out of the way army base a little east from Gdansk, we've confirmed it's a major arms stockpile to insurgents threatening Scandinavia, we are to destroy the base as thoroughly a possible."

"Affirmative, commander."

"Hey…" She calls the pilot, "I never met you before." She says, "Care to give a name? Mine's Xuiying Hong."

The G-Unit's pilot was silent at first, but after while he replies. "Trowa, Trowa Barton."

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**East of Iranshahr, Iran, Eurasian Federation**

"Sierra One, this is Sickle," The pilot of the fourth unit, SK/XG-04SR Sand Rock reports politely, "I made it safely and have just linked up with my support. We're on our way to the target."

The pilot had met up with Nathaniel Wolfthorne and the Shroud soon after had landed, he and his unit were currently inside the Javelin's hangar. They were traveling overland through desert cloaked in Mirage Colloid, though it wasn't perfect thanks to the heat from the desert sand, it still did the job.

Before leaving Turkey, Nathaniel had the Javelin modified to his specifications equipping the ship. With his connections and since the Equatorial Union and Scandinavian governments were some of the Shroud's regular customers, Nathaniel had managed to bargain several weapon system technologies not counted in the standard Skiold-class package.

"Hey, Quatre," The dark skinned commander of the mercenary group calls from the base of the mobile suit.

"Coming," the young coordinator replies, he quickly gets down via the zipline.

As soon as Quatre Raberba Winner, get down, Nathaniel briefs him right off the bat.

"Okay Kiddo, out main objective is an underground military base not too far from the Afghan border. Eurasia and East Asia have been training insurgents in this location who in turn cause a lot of violent attacks along the border with the EU. Our objective obviously is to take down this place. Base defenses are rather standard; linear tanks, assault helicopters, missile trucks and whatnot."

"I made a few wires to some of the local Mujahideen," Nathaniel continues. "Don't get your hopes up, but I think we can count them for infantry and light artillery support. So watch your fire."

There were a lot of Iranians who resent the control of the Eurasians, fierce fighting against the central government and military have been going on for a long time now. This led to formation of various Mujahideen or resistance groups, their methods range from aggressive diplomacy to out-and-out terrorism.

The blonde teen nods, "I understand."

Quatre then looks up the Sand Rock, "I just hope he and I can hold our own."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**East of Salahlah, Oman, African Community**

"Sierra One, this is Halberd," The pilot of the fifth unit, SK/XG-05S Shen Long yells at his headset.

He squints to see in the distance as the sand was kicking up. He was in a hot, dusty desert, he began sweating the moment he had opened the cockpit for better look.

"I landed safely, I'm more or less several miles south of my target."

The pilot spots something kicking up dust in the distance. After checking it with his binoculars, he calls to his handler. "I think I'm about to link up with my support."

He was pretty sure it was them because there weren't very many people in Oman who could afford three large flatbed utility trucks with what looked like two mobilesuits covered in canvas on each.

When the trucks got closer, the pilot waves at them with both hands. All three eventually stop in front of it.

Lucrencia Noin gets out one of the trucks. She looks up to the pilot and waves back at the pilot, "It's been a while, Wufei Chang."

"It's you…" Wufei crosses his arms, "Have your skills improved, woman?"

Noin frowned, though she was expecting it, she never got used to the young Arcani's bluntness. "Of course they have, I hope _you're _not skimping on your training."

"Don't bet on it," He snorted. Wufei then looks it the flatbeds, "What do you got there?"

"Dinns," she replies. "Five of them."

"Five?" the young black hair coordinator raises an eyebrow, "What's the sixth machine?"

"A Guul," Noin answers, "I heard your unit doesn't have long range aerial thrusters, I thought you might need them."

Wufei kept silent for moment, "I see… thank you."

Noin grinned when she saw the slight squirm in his face, she found it very satisfying. The young Scandinavian officer knew he hated being reliant to anyone, he saw that as weakness.

"C'mon," She calls. "Sunset'll be in a few hours, let's move out!"

After several minutes, they were all airborne, and on their way to their Eurasian target.

Despite being considered a ZAFT allied nation, the African community was actually taking both sides, it just depends which region you're in. Oman and Yemen for example was still largely under Earth Alliance control most especially in the coast line. Wufei and Noin's target was a Eurasian navy base, the Eurasian 3rd Naval fleet was stationed there. Equatorial analysts have suspected that insurgents were being ferried from that base to the various coastal regions west of the EU.

"The base's defenses are largely aircraft," Noin explains. "There's conventional land hardware, but it isn't anything to worry about."

"Right," The gruff teen grunted. "Don't get in my way."

"Whatever," She replies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**September City, Canaver Residence**

Eileen Canaver was in her kitchen, wearing a white blouse and a black full length skirt. She was about the leave for her office when remembered she was on forced leave. So now, she was sitting by her kitchen counter, checking the news on her PDA, she braces herself for what she knew, wasn't going to be pretty.

She was right.

"_Yesterday, the Plants Supreme Council has held an inquiry into the destruction of United Emirates of Orb colony, Heliopolis in Larange point four during January 25th of this year…"_

As she expected, the first thing the reporter mentions was the shouting match that had occurred after the soldier's statements have been given. After that headache, followed the decision of the inquiry, the Supreme Council had found despite some misconduct by ZAFT forces, the blame of the collapse belong to the squarely on Earth Alliance force. The council had also decided that the UNAAF garrison stationed in the colony was only doing what it was meant to do. The Earth force's experimental mobilesuits and the ship that was supposed to carry were also made public.

The reporter then goes back to the argument, enumerating what had happened with surprisingly good detail. This eventually brings up the topic of the major division of the council, the Moderates and the Radicals, which also the major dividing factor among the people in the Plants. You were either with the war or against it.

A related article mentions of an anti-Orb rally that had taken place just a block outside of the Council. The rally turned violent after Aprilius One security attempted to break it. Six people were killed. While in Maius City, the trial of Hannah Marques, the fiancé of ZAFT pilot Domio Woodrow who died during testing of an experimental weapon, was to start today. She stands accused of treason and the willful destruction of ZAFT property. However, despite those serious charges, Eileen knew ZAFT high command and the Radicals were willing to pardon her. Last thing they needed was a conviction that would undermine their right to continue the war. And finally, a man from October city commits suicide in front of the National Defense Council office, setting himself on fire. The man lost all four of his sons to the war, the suicide note the man left declares his action was in protest of the war. The last part of the note was directed toward Supreme Council and ZAFT.

_How much more blood will it take before you all are satisfied?_

Eileen rubbed her face, she her PDA off before she sees anything else that could depress her even more. The man who committed suicide had a very painful point. She took a long straight gulp from her coffee.

How much more people had to die before enough was enough? The people of the Plants already loss so much, when will this ever end? By the end of the month, almost a third of a million ZAFT soldiers had died, more than three times what they had lost in Bloody Valentine.

_Is the war even worth it? What would they possibly achieve or prove if they did? Prove that Blue Cosmos was right and we're nothing but space monsters created by misguided scientists years ago? _

Eileen stares into space, her mind was processing the possible scenarios of what may occur. Most of what she could think of wouldn't make the man who committed suicide happy, most involved expansion of the war, lowering the minimum draft age, sending more reserves to the front, possibly declaring war against Orb for it's transgressions in Heliopolis.

Eileen sighs, covering her face as her elbows were placed on the counter

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living." Eileen mumbles, remembering the excerpt from a book. It was from General Omar Bradley, an American general during world war two, his words couldn't have been truer.

**Visch shook his head as he looks at the schematics for the whole structure of GENESIS**

"You've got be kidding me…" he shakes his head, "it's at least ten times larger than GENESIS Alpha and Omega. And those are bad enough… this is just going over the edge."

"Patrick Zala's state of mind has been there since Bloody Valentine," Grey remarks. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if we can pull off stopping this thing."

The one-eyed pilot shakes his even more, "And that's comin' from you… well for starters, we're gonna need support. From what I see, you only have a couple dozen people with you…"

"Well, I have a mobilesuit development team under of one of my aliases. There's at least sixty people in it. I also got a few in military intelligence and internal affairs."

"Marshall and the others are in for sure." Visch thought for a moment, "I can talk a few buddies of mine in special forces and a few more in MI."

"That can help," Grey nods. "But we're gonna need support from the regulars, maybe even someone a little high up."

"That'll time a while," Visch murmurs. "How 'bout the other Swords?"

Grey shook his head slowly, "Definitely not Lenneth… she's way loyal to the Plants, it gonna take more than our word to convince her and besides she's in Gibraltar with Belenus. Andy and Aisha are in Libya. Rusty's unit will be a problem. Ditto with Leona's and she's still shook up when we lost Kazuma in Endymion. And no, Eileen is too dangerous to consider right now, we're pretty much asking her to join a coup here."

"How 'bout Chris and Shiho?" Visch asks.

"Chris is worth a shot, but I'm not of Shiho though…"

Donahue frowns, "What do you mean? Miyuki took her under her wing, she pretty much looked up to her."

"Yeah I know," Grey sighs, "But she's been casting a lot of doubt since Yuki escaped, it really hurt her. From what I'm getting, she's pretty much accepted that Yuki is a deserter."

Visch shook his head, "Even so, we don't have any options."

Grey nods reluctantly, "You're right…"

**Meanwhile, back in space, the Plants**

"What?-!" Athrun uncharacteristically raises his voice against his commander, "Lacus has gone missing?-!"

Rau reluctantly nods, "Yes, the Supreme Council and high command had known this for quite a while, they've sent a long-range reconnaissance ginn to the area to where the Silverwind was last traced to… However, it has yet to report back."

Athrun looks door to the floor, _Lacus…_

"So," The young Redcoat looks at his commander. "Have we been given orders to…"

Le Creuset nods, "Yes, along with the Donahue team."

"When are we going?"

"As soon as get a hold a hold of Commander Donahue," a woman's voice says behind him, "The man has habit of going missing when needed."

Athrun turns find a white clad officer, her blonde hair was tied to a ponytail behind her neck. Though she was smiling at him, he felt a cold chill when his eyes met with her amethyst colored ones.

The young coordinator recovers and quickly salutes, "Commander Knowles."

Knowles nods plainly, "As you were."

The woman turns her direction to Rau, "Commander Le Creuset, I'd like you to know that I have volunteered to join in the search for Miss Clyne."

Rau nods back, a little wary of her. Anyone who trusted Cynthia Knowles deserves the knife she plants on their back, she was loyal to only the Supreme council and high command, anyone else was expendable.

"I see… I appreciate your assistance."

"Don't be," She replies bluntly. "I'm just coming along to make sure you and Donahue don't screw this up. Personally, I care little of Miss Clyne but I can't deny she's valuable to the Plant's morale, losing her would be a disaster.

Rau winces at her remarks, "That… will be duly noted."

Athrun glares at the woman, she was one of the tactical military advisors to his father.

Cynthia notes his look and says indifferently, "Sorry, I understand she's your fiancée' but that just how I feel."

Athrun simply nods.

He then salutes at his commander and Knowles, "Excuse me sir, ma'am, I'll go and inform Miguel and the others of the mission."

Rau nods, "Permission granted, you may go Athrun."

The young pilot got away from there as fast as he could without running, he couldn't stand that woman. She was a loyalist of the Radical faction since the start, she quickly made clear of her disdain towards the Moderates most especially the Clynes. He never liked her for that, he personally preferred his father's other advisor, Commander Kajiura.

Despite the loss of her own husband, she had carried his father through the Bloody Valentine, she also helped him go through his own sorrow. He could still remember her gentle, soothing voice as she held him in front of his mother's grave as he broke down. It was almost like his own mother's voice.

"Commander Kajiura…" Athrun mutters, "Where did you go?"

**Visch raises an eyebrow as he reads the message Marshall had sent to his cellphone after he got it back from Grey's guards**

"Well, well, well…" He goes to Grey, ignoring Elsa's protests. "Yo G!, check this out."

Grey reads the messages, "Huh, talk about perfect timing…"

The message was largely about the Donahue team being assigned to the search for Lacus Clyne, but really made it astonishing was the unit being embedded with Visch's group, The DEEP Arms project unit.

"No need to set up a meeting anymore," The masked officer says. "And you've got plenty of time to talk with them."

"That just leaves me with only one problem," Visch says.

Grey looks at him, "What?"

Visch sighs tiredly, "What in hell should I tell Ellie when I get back to September?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**UNAAF 2nd Fleet ship Agares, somewhere in orbit**

"Captain," the communications operators calls her superior. "All units have reached designated targets, phase one of operation is complete."

Une nods, "Proceed to phase two of Operation Meteor."

"Ma'am!" The operator repeats the order through the radio.

The fairly young captain was getting a little anxious, the sheer scale of the operation was overwhelming considering how limited your resources were. So far, in the last few hours they've been lucky, none of the units have been detected despite traveling through enemy terrain. Now the tension was going to increase by several notches, the attack and the following extraction.

There were literally a million ways to how this operation could fail.

She sits up alert on her chair as she hears the pilots acknowledge and proceeding with the plan, her heart was starting to race.

But they've made it this far, it's too way late to turn back.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Down in Libya**

"Tiger to Jackals," Waltfeld's voice cracked from Rayer's receiver. "It's lunch time."

"Copy," Master Pierce Rayer replies, he takes off his headset and replaces them with a pair ear pieces which are plugged in with a music player, he wasn't going to need to communicate with Vincent. Pierce was confident enough of his skills to get out of this one with zero damage.

And besides, the cockpit had its own radio.

The young wasn't wearing a pilot suit, a common practice among Spartan, the only times they use a suit was where they're working underwater or in space. The suits tend to slow down and slightly restrict movement, a problem since Spartans also operated on foot sometimes. Pierce instead was wearing a desert patterned fatigue with the two top buttons undone revealing the white T- shirt underneath and a gun vest.

He cracks his weathered knuckles, "Let the bodies hit the floor… Let the bodies hit the floor… Let the bodies hit the floor…" He turns on the player, the loud wails of the song "Bodies" by Drowning Pool plays.

---

_Let the bodies hit the floor… _  
_Let the bodies hit the floor… _  
_Let the bodies hit the floor…  
Let the bodies hit the floor Beaten why for_  
_Can't take much more_

---

Master's Dragonfly takes off, the Hyperion follows, Rayer strafes left of the Lesseps, while Vincent takes right. The dragonfly dons its long range linear rifle, it aims and fires the first shot. The round travels for about a quarter mile before hitting a missile truck. Rayer fires his CIWS in a slashing motion taking out three attack helicopters in the air.

---

_One - Nothing wrong with me  
Two - Nothing wrong with me  
Three - Nothing wrong with me  
Four - Nothing wrong with me_

_---_

Vincent lands on the sand, with the aid of the newly installed booster, it begins overboosting toward the Blue Cosmos camp. The Hyperion boosts towards what looked like the only tank the Blue Cosmos contingent had. The tank attacks by firing a linear round at it, which was effortlessly deflected by a shield formed by Armure Lumiere. As the he closes in, Vincent changes the shield into a saber. As he passes it by, he makes a quick swipe which cuts the tank turret in half.

_---_

_One - Something's got to give  
Two - Something's got to give  
Three - Something's got to give  
Now_  
Vincent spots a pair of helicopters attempting to strafe him. As he dodges their missiles, he pulls out the nodachi "Durandal" out of its rack. Vincent then boosts upward, turning 360 degrees as the Durandal and the saber formed by the Armure Lumiere cut the two attack helicopters.

---

_Let the bodies hit the floor… _  
_Let the bodies hit the floor…_  
_Let the bodies hit the floor…_

_---_

Rayer's Dragonfly heads straight to the middle of the base. After firing several rounds, he stows away the linear rifle. The hatches of the missilepods open, the dragonfly unloads all of it missiles onto the base, causing widespread havoc and destruction. After firing them all, Pierce then pulls of his MKE16 assault rifle. He puts the Dragonfly into a slow spin fire the rifle along with his CIWS, AW18s and the 40mm. short-barrel minigun mounted into his Ghazi close combat shield. The camp was quickly riddled with various caliber rounds.

---

_Push me again  
This is the end  
Skin against skin blood and bone  
You're all by yourself but you're not alone_

_You wanted in now you're here  
Driven by hate consumed by fear_

---

Adding more to the decimation, Vincent lands the Hyperion on the sand, after distributing its weight, lower the two Forfanterie beam canons down and aims them at the direction of the camp. He fires.

The beam strikes the mesa looking over the camp. Vincent moves the mobilesuit so as the beam would hit more of the rock, the blast causing large boulders to give away, crashing onto the camp. In a matter of seconds, half of the camp was buried in rubble along with the occupants.

---

_Let the bodies hit the floor… _  
_Let the bodies hit the floor… _  
_Let the bodies hit the floor…_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Same time, Eurasian Naval Base, Oman, African Community**

Five Dinn aerial combat mobilesuits flew above the Eurasian third fleet, sporadic triple A was coming from the base's defenses and from the ships, but the cover the night was masking their presence. The mobilesuits strafes left and right close at the different ships, too close for the surface-to-air missiles to be fired safely

As Lucrencia Noin cuts through the air, she eyes to her left the Shen Long as continues to do its objective. "C'mon Wufei, we don't have all night."

"Why do you think I'm rushing this?-!" Wufei snaps. The SK/XG-05S Shen Long jumps on top of a Des Moines-class ship and plunges his glaive into it then cutting through to the side. He jumps off, and land on his Guul.

"We've already been here for eight minutes, we're behind schedule!"

"Oh fine!" Wufei yells, "If that's how you put it!"

The Shen Long extends his right hand, several pieces of its forearm flip forward, forming something that looks like a dragon. Two streams of flame emerge from its 'mouth'. The flame strikes the side of another Des Moines-class, the extreme heat causes the munitions of ship to explode.

Noin nods as she watches several more ship getting a similar fate. "That's more like it."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**South West of Iranshahr, Iran, Eurasian Federation base**

A large number well-armed militiamen from a local Mujahideen, storm the base's front. Several men formed mortar teams and began hurling 80mm.shells at the defenses. While the rest hammered on the guards by the gate with assault rifles, RPGs and grenades.

Because of the ferocity of the attack, the base launches its best defense, coordinator mercenaries in ginns. Ten units in all form a defensive line in front of the battle that just started.

Supporting the insurgents, were a Legionnaire Scorpion, Legionnaire Firefly, Headhunter, two Dinns and the SK/XG-04SR Sandrock.

Quatre pulls out the mobilesuit's main weapons, the enormous beam shotels. He fires his CIWS at missiles being fired from the base.

"I'll move on ahead," Quatre calls the others. "High command wants as much combat data on this suit as possible."

"Don't go too far," Simon calls as his Firefly shoots its shoulder mounted linear guns at an automatic gun emplacement.

Quatre takes the safety cap off a button, "Activating Mirage Colloid."

The grey and black mobilesuits vanishes into the night.

"D-did you see that…" One of the pilots scans the surroundings, "Where did he go…?"

The Sandrock reappears behind two ginns, cutting them in the torso with its shotels. The other ginns react and fire their machineguns at him, their attacks deflect uselessly off the PSA. Quatre crosses the Sandrock's arms and suddenly swings them, letting go of the shotel. They spin rapidly and cut several more ginns.

Quatre switches his radio to a general, "If you value your lives, disarm your mobilesuits and leave."

His warnings went unheeded as the surviving suits attack with their swords.

Quatre sighs sadly, "I warned you…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Gdansk Army Research Facility, Poland, Eurasian Federation**

The base was being attacked from two sides. On the east side, they were being attacked by several mobilesuits, it was too dark to tell what models they were but the base assumed they were ginns. However on the west, they could clearly see the mobilesuit, but no one knew what it was.

Inside the SK/XG-03H Heavy Arms, Trowa's eyes dart from the various monitors. "Six tanks… 50 rounds each…"

He fires the Heavy Arm's beam gatling gun at the six incoming linear tanks, disabling each with precisely 50 rounds each.

"Crossbow," Xuiying calls. "You've got several attack helicopters heading your way from the south."

"Copy that," The Heavy Arms looks at the approximate direction of the incoming hostiles. Even though they were hardly even visible, Trowa's mobilesuit quickly locks on all of them. The Arcani pilot fires his Igelstellungs and AW22s, several explosions appear in the distance.

The Heavy Arms then assumes its march toward the base, when he makes it passed the base's perimeter fences. Trowa lifts the safety cap of a button. The mobilesuit's chest opens revealing a Scylla energy cannon, it discharges a large blast that goes right through a building. He follows with a barrage missiles coming from various compartments of the mobilesuit, it completely decimates the target.

"Primary target, the armory stockpile destroyed," Trowa report, "Proceeding to secondary target."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Kadena Airbase, Okinawa, Japan, Republic of East Asia**

D.N. in the Astray Black Frame and Reese Vickers in one of several dinns made up the diversionary force, while Duo in the SK/XG-02 Deathscythe and a dozen ginns formed the primary force.

Their attack had gone smoothly thus far, D.N. and Reese's team had destroyed the base's runways, making the base's spearheads almost useless as they cannot take off vertically. Those that did try take off were quickly shot. They left only attack helicopters, automatic gun emplacements and a handful of armored vehicles to defend the base. Duo's team didn't waste time and had straight the missile bunker.

"Knock, knock!" Duo twirls the beam scythe before he cuts down the missile bunker's front gate, it goes down with a resounding crash.

"Move it!" The young pilot barks at his team, "Get those babies in there, I'll hold the fort out here!"

As says this, a group of helicopters attempt to attack them by launching a barrage of missiles.

"Ah, ah ,ah," The Deathscythe once again twirls its weapon, this time much more rapidly. Along with its Igelstellungs and AW22s, takes out the missiles before they do any real damage. "I don't think so."

Duo raises his suit's left arm to use its Trikeros system, firing the lancer darts. Each dart hits a helicopter, one collides with two others as it plummets down. He then fires the M20/K "Imp" 200mm. short beamcanon repeatedly to take several more. One had manages to make in close and begin strafing the Deathscythe with its minigun. Duo uses the third weapon of the Trikeros, a beam saber, to cut the craft's tail rotor. It swings out of control and craft lands.

"Hey pal," Duo says to the enemy pilot through his suit's speakers. "You're pretty lucky, so don't push your luck and just get out of our way."

The brown haired coordinator smirks, "Because you're dealing the God of Death."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Site of Heaven's Base, Southern Iceland, Atlantic Federation**

Heero Yuy and the SK/XG-01W Wing was pretty much running in the still under construction base single-handedly taking on the defenses, he had volunteered to provide a diversion as Zechs went deep into the base to plant charges to destroy the targeted facility within the base's complex.

Spearheads and attack helicopters, missiles disintegrated in the barrage of mobilesuit's multiple CIWS and automatic guns. Occasionally, he cut an aircraft with the mobilesuit's beam blades along its wings as he flies past it. The base's Long Daggers and the conventional land vehicles didn't fare any better; daggers would either be impaled with his shield's sharp end, stabbed in the cockpit area by Armor Schneiders or be cut to ribbons by beam saber; while the tanks, missile trucks and whatnot would simply be blown away by the guns.

After several minutes of this, Heero patches a link with his partner. "Zechs, how are things on your end?"

"I've already set the charges and just exited the complex, time to make our leave."

"Affirmative," The Wing shoots straight up going to a certain height, it pulls out its main and most powerful weapon, the 220mm. Mk. I "Buster" hyper beamcanon. The weapon slowly charges, its target, the Eurasian 4th Fleet docked by the base's shipyard.

After several seconds, Heero pulls the trigger, letting loose a hellacious burst of energy arguably equivalent to a Lohengrin blast. The beam pierces through a Tarawa-class like it were made of paper, Heero pivots the rifle, making the beam strike another ship, then another. Heero fires the Buster rifle two more times, after that, there hardly a fleet left, safe for a handful Des Moines classes and few Fraser-classes, all that was left were scuttled hunks.

Heero looks down at the chaos and decimation he caused in the base.

He then mumbles to himself. "Mission Accomplished."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Canaver Residence, September Four, Plants, **

Eileen's heart fell when she finds out of Visch's unexpected mission. "I see…"

"I'm going to have to go ASAP," Visch holds her close, he was wishing he didn't have to let go. "I'm sorry, Ellie…"

"It's okay," The diplomatic council woman says sadly, resting her head on his chest. "It's your duty, I completely understand that."

"I don't know what'll happen to Siegel of he loses Lacus, I don't him want to end up like Yuki and Patrick Zala."

After hearing this, Visch could help but ask, "Do you still hate Yuki and Len for the Ides?"

She shakes her head, "They had all the reason to be angry, Darren was important to them. Miyuki lost her husband, Lenneth lost a good friend. I'd do what they did if they too died too Bloody Valentine. I really wish I tried to understand what they felt was no different to what I felt when I lost my brother in the last war. I don't think I can take those words I said or my friends back"

The two look at each in a dazed gaze, then press their lips together.

When they withdraw, Eileen rests her head again against Visch.

"Just come back in one piece, I don't want to lose you too."

"I won't, I promise."

"Be back soon." Eileen smiles, "It can get very lonely here, not many visitors come here since the war started.

Visch too smiles, "I won't"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Archangel, Infirmary**

"C'mon, Naomi," Antonio gripes as the medical officer helps him take off his uniform. "I'm entitled to a little exercise aren't I?"

"You're also entitled to a little rest once and while," Naomi counters, she hands him a set of clothes. "Now put this is on or I'll do for you."

Antonio makes a face, and takes the clothes. "Yes, Mother."

Without giving her warning, he drops his pants.

Naomi quickly turns around. "Anton!" She yells, disgusted, "Really!"

When Antonio finally settles in his bed, their grumpy mood towards each other disappears, their professionalism takes over. Naomi began giving her report on what was going on in the Basilisk and Archangel. Antonio gives issues her corresponding orders.

"By the way," Antonio gives her a look. "You've already done the autopsy on Darren right?"

She nods, "Just a minute." She leaves the room, after several minutes she comes back with a recorder, the write-up of what was in it and actual autopsy report.

Antonio takes a pair of earphones from the table from a table beside of the bed, he jacks it into the recorder.

"I have some things to do," Naomi says. "Is it alright that I leave you right now?"

Her superior nods a bit absently, "Sure…"

The recording started with usual formalities, Naomi, who was the medical examiner for the autopsy, she identified herself, gave the date, the time, and the names of those who witness the autopsy, his friend Michael was one of them, and then proceeded to an external description of the corpse.

"The body is that of an adult, well-nourished white male, scale weight 172 pounds, measured height five feet ten inches."

_I thought he was taller than that, _Antonio murmurs to himself.

"There is a bullet wound of entrance approximately a centimeter of the right ear, exited the left ear. It consists of a one-centimeter circular perforation and a surrounding abrasion collar that becomes one half inch long inferiorly and medially…"

Antonio goes through the official preliminary report as he continues to listen. Only one bullet was found near the body, or what's left of it. Fragments of a 9mm. JHP Parabellum, standard service rounds for the AF armed forces. Darren didn't have any drugs on him, and he had almost zero alcohol in his system, so there wasn't a chance he was under influence when he died.

_How did you die man…?_ This wasn't Antonio's first brush with murder investigations, but he knew this case was going to need a much more experienced investigator.

He takes the folder that contained the case report and signs his name. After doing so, he writes a recommendation to who should take the case. He chose a special INTERPOL investigation branch in Singapore, some of the organization's best investigators were assigned there.

Until then, this was his case, the problem was he couldn't do a damn thing with it. He and his men gathered as much material and possible evidence as they could. The condition of the body shouldn't change too much since it was kept in a cold vacuum. Two examinations have already been done of the body. He and his men did as much as they could, but to Antonio, that wasn't good enough. He wanted to know what happened, for Miyuki's sake and for the family.

Of course, he had to follow protocol, if there was any chance of this investigation to be resolved.

He was starting to feel helpless again, _God… I hate this…_

**Later, Archangel, Officer's quarters**

Feeling tired, Murrue had given Ens. Badgiruel command and was now asleep in her bunk. …Or at least trying to.

She kept tossing and turning, struggling in vain to make herself comfortable so she can just dose off. She hadn't had any luck for the last hour and a half.

Murrue held tightly on her pendant, the only thing she had left of Dmitri, her lover, a Mobilearmor pilot who died during the Ides of March incident. One of many her best friend may have personally killed.

Murrue just stood there when Miyuki told her the truth. She felt numb, like when she first found out Dmitri was gone, she couldn't believe it, she refused to.

It hurt her enough that Dmitri was killed needlessly, but to find out that best friend may have something to do with it? In her mind, she this was all just a sick, twisted dream… no, a nightmare. She really wished it was.

"Why…" Murrue whispers to herself, tears starting to form. "Why her…Why is this happening…? Why to me… Why… Why…?"

She finally cries, unable be bear the pain anymore, quietly sobbing herself to sleep.

**In the Hangar,**

Miyuki hisses as she gets herself electrocuted for the nth time as she worked on the Chimera's mangled battery terminal wiring.

She curses as she rubs the grown welts on her hands. She just couldn't concentrate hard enough lately and she had a good idea why.

Miyuki couldn't get Murrue out of her head, she kept the hurt in her face when she told her secret.

The former ZAFT commander presses her head against the side of the Chimera.

"_Sempai…"_

-February 14th, 71CE, Two days ago-

"_This is just a joke right…" Murrue forces herself to smile, "Just one of your sick jokes…? Right…"_

_Her eyes told Miyuki she was in shock and they're begging to tell her this indeed a cruel joke. Miyuki really wish it was._

_Murrue covers her mouth with both hands. She backs away from her friend, pressing herself against the wall, and starts shaking her head. "No… No… No…"_

_Miyuki watched as Murrue's knees gave way and she began crying, still kept saying "no". She thought of helping her up, but a part of her told her otherwise._

"_Murrue… I'm sorry…" She walks away._

Miyuki held herself, suddenly feeling a cold chill. She lightly smacks her head at the Chimera's side.

"Some friend I turn out to be…" She mutters to her self bitterly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**In the Libyan Desert**

"They've finished it off faster than I thought," ZAFT commander Andrew Waltfeld comments as tosses his binoculars to the back of the jeep. He gets the mike of the radio, "Okay boys, that'll be enough for today, pack it up."

The Blue cosmos camp was reduced to more than a pile of debris, and only took eight minutes.

Vincent's Hyperion places the Durandal in its rack, and begins walking toward the Lesseps.

"Hmph," The ex-Eurasian pilot was very dissatisfied. "Hardly what I'd call a challenge."

"We'll probably get better prey in the next few days," Pierce calls. "C'mon let's head back."

**Cagalli couldn't help but watch in awe at the two mercenary pilot's performance**

She also couldn't help but feel uneasy, the Blue Cosmos camp could have easily been the Dawn Dawn's base. They were better equipped at fighting them yet they fell in mere minutes. She, Sahib and the others must most definitely have keep track those two pilots.

"It seems the tiger has found two powerful fangs," Sahib says beside her calmly. He looks at the young girl in the corner of his eye "That one must definitely be a Spartan."

Cagalli reluctantly nods

**After they've landed and stowed their units,**

Vincent Schellezar and Master Rayer stood in front of the Desert Tiger and his young protégé on the deck of the Lesseps.

"It would be an understatement to say I'm impressed," Waltfeld begins. "You definitely are the real deal."

"If we weren't," Pierce responds calmly. "We wouldn't last long in this job."

"Of course," Andrew nods, he looks at them seriously. "You also have quite the nerve."

Andrew pulls out a handgun and fires it at Pierce. The bullet shaves through the young pilot's hair, while Martin was taken aback by this, neither Vincent nor Master moved a muscle. Everybody on the deck on the land carrier stood still for several moments.

"You're friend's unit is identical to the description ZAFT pilots gave of one unknown suit during the fiasco in East Europe," Andrew says with his hardened eyes focused on Pierce. "That certain suit has given our forces rather grievous casualties."

Waltfeld pulls the hammer, "I suspect you've also been involve in that little battle, not very many pilots can use a BuCUE as well as what has been reported. You after all, you are renowned for your skills in a BuCUE."

The Tiger then raises his eyebrow, "So, why did you bother, going here, especially since that battle has only been several days ago?"

Pierce stares calmly at tiger, then shrugs. "I'm a professional mercenary, I do what I'm paid to do. I follow where money leads me, loyally does not exist in my job. I'll fight for the Alliance in one battle, and maybe ZAFT in another. That's the ugly fact of my line of work. That's life."

"What he said," Vincent says simply. "And I don't care to who I work for so long as I have some fun."

The two pilots and Waltfeld stare down, a desert breeze from their side.

Waltfeld smirks, "Heh… Just the type of answers I'd expect from guys like you." The Zaft commander holsters his weapon, "Congratulations boys… you're hired."

"**Looks like they've been hired…"**

Cagalli murmurs as she watches as the Tiger and his second-in-command leave the two pilots. "Not that the Tiger wouldn't hire those guys after what they did. I wonder how much he's paying-"

She gasps as she saw the two pilots suddenly turn toward their direction, smirking. The white haired one, waves at her. Cagalli couldn't believe it, they knew they were there, possibly the whole time. She watches as the brunette haired aims and fires his index finger like a gun. Cagalli clearly knew what he was trying to say, they could have killed them if they have wanted.

Sahib shakes his head, "They are definitely going to be a serious problem."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**UNAAF 2nd Fleet ship Agares, somewhere in orbit**

Une sighs with great relief when she hears that all five have accomplished their missions and that all units have pulled out safely. She sinks into her seat, a very heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Around her, the bridge was ecstatic, high fives and congratulations were exchanged.

Her XO, Ens. Richards dabs his handkerchief on the captain who looks at him surprise.

"Y'know captain," He says with a smirk. "It can really tense here in bridge, if you stay long enough in here."

Une smirks and nods, "I'll thank keep that in mind, thank you ensign."

She then barks out an order, "Agares carrier group, move out, we're returning to the fleet!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Several hours later, up in space, in the Bridge of the Archangel**

Romero Pal was idly sipping at a drink container when his console beeped at him. "Hm?" He released his grip on the container, allowing it to float free, and focused his attention on the terminal, the last time that happened was when the Lead Zeppelin's owner, Jamie Savage made a link to bid farewell, along with giving his thanks to Kira for saving him in their last battle and for the pleasure doing 'business' before the Junk Guild ship parted to its own way.

Pai rapidly types in several commands. "Captain…"

Capt. Ramius turned. "What is, Mr. Pal?"

"We're receiving a transmission, Ma'am." Instantly, Ramius and Badgiruel were at his side, and Pal points at the screen. "There's no doubt about it. This is a coded pulse from the Earth Forces' Eighth Fleet."

The Captain's expression brightens. "Can you pull it in?"

"Doing it right now. Analyzing... decrypting... there."

The message was broken up by interference, but still partially understandable. _"This... Earth Forces Eighth_ _Fleet... _Archangel_, respond. This is... _Montgomery_... and _Law_. Rendezvous at these coordinates."_

"They're under Admiral Halberton's command!" Ramius said in relief.

The Bridge crew all began speaking at once. "The _Montgomery_... that's Koopman's ship, right?"

"We've made it!"

"Nothing's going to stop us now!"

Fate would beg to differ.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Not very far away**

The Nazca-classes Vesalius and Ursa Major both move in the direction of the space debris belt, in an emergency mission to search and rescue the Plants Supreme Council Chairman's daughter, Lacus Clyne.

Inside the Ursa Major, four of the twelve Swords sat inside a small room. Chris and Shiho stared at Visch and Marvin with disbelief, they had just found what had happened to their missing former commander and her intentions. Visch showed then the data of GENESIS and manifests of the troop deployment as proof of their almost unimaginable situation.

"This data are legit files taken different seats of high commands, as you can see we're gonna need more help, you guys are a start, you guys can also get more people into this."

Visch looks at them evenly, "I know this all sounds crazy, but this is really happening. Please, I need your help."

The room was silent for a moment, Marvin eyed both sides, Visch was tense and wasn't moving much. As for two test pilots for the DEEP Arms project, Chris looked taken aback and confused. Not surprising, so much information was thrust at them, they were probably still making sense of it all. Shiho's impression was a little much the same but felt different somehow, she did look surprised as Chris, but something about her eyes that bugged him. They seemed to be filled not with confusion, it look more like concern… maybe fear even…

"So…" Visch breaks the silence, "What's it gonna be?"

Chris bites her lip, "I'll take Yuki's words for now, I'm in."

"Okay…" He then turns to Shiho, "And you?"

Shiho looks down on the hesitating to speak, "I… I want to speak to her first…"

Chris looks at her, "Shiho?"

"Miyuki is piloting the 'White Phantom' right?" Shiho asks.

Visch nods, "Yeah."

The young pilot looks up to him, "I want hear her side of the story first, then I will make my decision."

Visch observes her for a moment, then nods.

Little do they know, an opportunity would be sooner than they thought.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: **Woot! My first update for very long while XD. Once again, sorry to my homies who're reading my little fic. I'm currently slogging away on the next chapter, so you won't to wait to long. Character development and more OC introductions in this chapter, Knowles is gonna be a very nasty character in the coming chapter, if you don't her initial appearance then you're not gonna like her in the next ones.

Heh, heh, I never though I'll actually introduce all five G-Wing pilots here! It's actually a dare from one of my buddies, I'm not really sure how they'll turn out, maybe I'll use 'em in the side story for this fic.

Additionally on that, I'll be writing a short side fic for this AU, it's essentially a fic focusing on an Interpol investigator working on Darren's murder and the Junius Seven Disaster. Some minor characters from the main AU will have bigger roles here, including my Astray pilot D.N and crew, and ditto with my Junk Guilders. It'll be called Gundam Seed Sidestory: The Fog of War, keep an eye for it.

Well that's enough yakking for now, please R & R!


	15. Mechhead part 4

**MBF-P06 Gundam Astray Black Frame  
**  
**Model number:** MBF-P06  
**Code name:** Gundam Astray Black Frame  
**Unit type:** prototype general purpose mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Moegenroete Inc.,

**Operator(s):** D.N. Lockwood

**Pilot(s):** D.N. Lockwood**  
First deployment: **Jan 25, 71CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 17.53 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 49.8 metric tons

**Construction:** unknown

**Powerplant:** Ultracompact Energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **sensors, ranges unknown,

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75 mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x beamsaber, stored on back

2 x "Armor Schneider" combat knife, stored on back of hips

1 x Type 71 beam rifle

1 x anti-beam coated shield

**Optional Armaments:**

4 x MB2 Explosive charge,

1 x "Sidapa" dual bladed double beam scythe,

1 x Heavy bazooka

2 x Mk24E 155mm. missilepod,

**TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero Archangel Custom**

**Model number:** TS-MA2mod.00  
**Code name:** Moebius Zero**  
Unit type: **custom mobile armor  
**Manufacturer:** Earth Alliance, modified by Murrue Ramius, Miyuki Kajiura, Archangel Maintenance crew  
**Operator(s):** Earth Alliance  
**Pilot(s):** Antonio Le St. Claire, Mu La Flaga

**First deployment:** Skirmish in the Debris belt  
**Dimensions: **Unknown  
**Wingspan:** Unknown  
**Weight:** Unknown  
**Propulsion:** Unknown   
**Equipment and design features:** sensors, range unknown; Phase-shift (PS) armor

**Standard armaments: **

1 x linear gun, mounted below main body  
4 x beam gunbarrel (4 x beam machine guns), mounted on main body, can be detached and controlled through wires connected to main body  
2 x auxiliary beam gunbarrel (2 x beam machine guns, 1 x beamsaber), mounted on main body behind the main gunbarrels, can be detached and controlled through wires connected to main body

**EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 4 Dragonfly Master Pierce Rayer Custom**

**  
****Model number:** EUMS-Mk104 Type 4  
**Code name:** Legionnaire Dragonfly  
**Unit type:** custom all-terrain and amphibious paratrooper assault mobilesuit  
**Manufacturer:** United Arms Inc., Modified by Master Pierce Rayer

**Operator(s):** Master Pierce Rayer

**Pilot(s):** Master Pierce Rayer**  
First deployment:** Feb 16, 71CE  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions:** 14.60 meters – spider/ 12.40 meters – hover  
**Weight:** max gross weight 57.30 metric tons

**Construction:** Armor grade composite alloy

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery

**Equipment and design features: **sensors, range unknown; HM (High Mobility) Leg unit M1 "Grunt", EE20 Aerial Maneuver pack

**Standard armaments:**

2 x 57mm. GAU-38 multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x 75mm. AW18 Automatic assault weapon, mounted on chest

1 x M12 175mm. long range linear rifle

2 x M7 Thermal heat axe "Heathawk", stored on side of hips

1 x Modified Ghazi combat shield, mounts a short barrel 40mm. minigun, mounted on left arm

2 x 155mm. Mk24E Missilepod, mounted on shoulders

1 x 90mm. MKE16 assault rifle, stored on back of hip

4 x MB2 Explosive charge

**CAT1-X0/3AS Hyperion Assault Shroud**

**Model number:** CAT1-X0/3AS  
**Code name:** Hyperion Assault Shroud  
**Unit type:** prototype attack use mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Earth Alliance (Eurasian Federation), Modified by Master Pierce Rayer  
**Operator:** Vincent Allen Schellezar  
**Pilot(s):** Vincent Allen Schellezar

**First deployment:** Skirmish with the Desert Dawn in Libya  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso **  
Dimensions: **head height 16.9 meters  
**Weight:** max gross weight 64.7 metric tons  
**Construction:** unknown

**Powerplant:** Edea ultracompact double energy battery

**Equipment and design features:** sensors, range unknown; EE20 Aerial maneuver pack; Assault Shroud armor plating

**Standard armaments:**

2 x multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x "Armure Lumiere" mono-phase lightwave shield, can be used as arm-mounted shield or 360 degree barrier, also doubles as beam saber, mounted on right-arm

1 x Modified Ghazi combat shield, mounts a short barrel 40mm. minigun, mounted on left arm

2 x 220mm 5-barrel missile pod, mounted on legs

5 x RBW Type 7001 "Romteknica" beam knife, mounted on main body, can be mounted on the beam sub-machinegun as a bayonet

1 x RFW-99 "Zastava Stigmate" beam sub-machine gun, powered by cable connected to mobile suit

2 x "Forfanterie" beam cannon, mounted on backpack, positioned over shoulders in use

1 x "Durandal" Nodachi

**A/N:**

**SK/XG-01W Wing  
**  
**Model number:** SK/XG-01W  
**Code name:** Wing  
**Unit type:** prototype transformable mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau, Professor J

**Operator(s):** Black Immortals

**Pilot(s):** Heero Yuy**  
First deployment: **71CE, Operation Meteor  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 16.30 meters  
**Weight:** unknown

**Construction:** Classified

**Powerplant: **Edea Ultracompact Double Energy Battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) Armor

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

2 x Armor Schneider combat knives, stored in hips

2 x Beamsabers, mounted in rack under the shield

2 x "Wind Shear" Beam blade, mounted on wings

1 x 220mm. Mk. I "Buster" beamcanon, mounts on main body in Mobilearmor mode

1 x anti-beam coated shield, mounts on main body in Mobilearmor mode

**A/N:**

**SK/XG-02D Deathscythe  
**  
**Model number:** SK/XG-02D  
**Code name:** Deathscythe  
**Unit type:** prototype melee combat mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau, Professor G

**Operator(s):** Black Immortals, Junk Guild

**Pilot(s):** Duo Maxwell**  
First deployment: **71, Operation Meteor  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 16.30 meters  
**Weight:** unknown

**Construction:** Classified

**Powerplant: **Edea Ultracompact Double Energy Battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) armor, Mirage Colloid

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

1 x beam scythe, stored in rack on back of hips,

("Trikeros Kai" shield system, docked on left arm)

1 x M20/K "Imp" 200mm. short beamcanon

3 x "Lancer Dart" hypervelocity kinetic energy penetrator

1 x beam saber

**A/N:**

**SK/XG-03H Heavy Arms  
**  
**Model number:** SK/XG-03H  
**Code name:** Heavy Arms  
**Unit type:** prototype artillery mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau, Professor S

**Operator(s):** Black Immortals,

**Pilot(s):** Trowa Barton**  
First deployment: **71, Operation Meteor  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 16.70 meters  
**Weight:** unknown

**Construction:** Classified

**Powerplant: **Edea Ultracompact Double Energy Battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) armor,

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

1 x beam scythe, stored in rack on rear waist armor,

1 x "Scylla" 580mm multi-phase energy cannon, mounted on torso;

2 x 3-tube homing missile launcher, mounted in shoulders;

2 x 12-tube micromissile launcher pod, mounted on legs;

1 x "Trafalgar" heat blade, mounted on right forearm  
1 x XBW-12 Beam Gatling gun with shield, mounts over left forearm

**A/N:**

**SK/XG-04SR Sandrock  
**  
**Model number:** SK/XG-04SR  
**Code name:** Sandrock  
**Unit type:** prototype close melee mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau, Professor H

**Operator(s):** Black Immortals

**Pilot(s):** Quatre Raberba **  
First deployment: **71CE, Operation Meteor  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 16.50 meters  
**Weight:** unknown

**Construction:** Classified

**Powerplant: **Edea Ultracompact Double Energy Battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) Armor, Mirage Colloid

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

4 x AW22 115mm. automatic assault weapon, mounted in side of chest

1 x 2 tube missile launcher, mounted in torso;

2 x Beam shotel, stored on racks on back,

1 x "Nacht Schere" close combat shield, can be stored on backpack or mounted on left forearm, mounts "shield flasher" blinding flare system, can be combined with heat shotels to form "cross-crusher" pincer weapon

**Optional Equipment:**

1 x MKE16 90mm. Assault rifle

**A/N:**

**SK/XG-05S Shen Long  
**  
**Model number:** SK/XG-05S  
**Code name:** Shen Long  
**Unit type:** prototype close melee mobile suit  
**Manufacturer:** Royal Arms Bureau, Professor O

**Operator(s):** Black Immortals

**Pilot(s):** Wufei Chang**  
First deployment: **71CE, Operation Meteor  
**Accommodation:** pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso  
**Dimensions: **headheight, 16.40 meters  
**Weight:** unknown

**Construction:** Classified

**Powerplant: **Edea Ultracompact Double Energy Battery

**Equipment and design features: **Phase Shift (PS) Armor, Mirage Colloid

**Standard armaments:**

2 x "Igelstellung" 75mm. automatic multi-barrel CIWS, mounted in head

2 x "Dragon fangs Kai" Extendable pincer locks, mounted on side of forearms, mounts 2 x M251A2 88mm. short range plasma launcher

1 x Beam glaive, stored in two pieces in hips

1 x "Shenlong" beam katar/boomerang shield system, optional throwing weapon, mounted on left forearm

**A/N:**


	16. Phase12: Loss

**A/N: **I've updated the last for because there was a big glaring error I couldn't ignore, the chronological order of some of the scenes have been mixed. You may want to go over phase 12 before continuing.

I'm focusing plainly in what's happening in space on this one, it's comparatively short against the last ones. Well, time for Kira and his fellow pilots to go into battle again. Let's get it on.

**Phase 12: Loss**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**In Miyuki Kajiura's room in the Crew's Quarters of the Archangel**

Earth Forces Ensign Natarle Badgiruel was asked to come to the room by its owner to discuss something in private. The young officer was ill-prepared for the secret Miyuki reveals to her.

She couldn't believe the young mother was who she claims to also be. But she couldn't deny the fact she had the mask, and she placed it on and spoke with a voice-altering device in her mouth, it was undeniable. She was Death's favorite daughter.

Natarle backs away from her slightly out of fear, there were a lot of things said of Morrigan Legna, a good number of them unpleasant, especially the ones with Earth Alliance officers involved.

She wondering what she was going to do, Kajiura had reveals her other identity, that either she was going to kill her or…

"Ensign Badgiruel," Miyuki simply says, "I need your help."

**Later, In the Bridge of the Archangel**

The Earth Alliance ship and its UNAAF escort, Basilisk, were finally in range of the OMNI-Enforcer Eighth Orbital Fleet Advance force.

"We're in transmission range, Ma'am," Acting Crewman Kuzzey Buskirk calls. "They're requesting authentication codes."  
"Transmit them," Murrue orders, and turns to Mu. "Well, at least this time we're dealing with people who know who we are."  
He nodded. "Yeah, I'd hate to have a repeat of Artemis," he added, glancing at the captain. "By the way, what happened to Kajiura? I haven't seen her around these parts much since we left Junius Seven."  
Murrue cringes slightly, but quickly recovers and replies simply. "She's been very busy working on the Chimera, It's still damaged quite badly."  
Mu nods and looks forward, "Speaking of the Chimera, who's our favorite Spartan doing?"  
The brunette young captain smirks, "Oh, he's doing fine."

"From what I understand, Lt. Col. Fletcher's having a hard time keeping him in bed." She adds with chuckle.

Mu smirks, "That's Ant for ya."

"Montgomery accepts our codes, Ma'am," Kuzzey reports. "They're now requesting our crew, casualty, and passenger lists."

"Acknowledged," Murrue replies. "Send them."

Several minutes of silence passes, until Kuzzey speaks up again. "Captain Koopman is asking for direct communications, Ma'am. He also says he has Vice Foreign Minister Allster with him."

Mu raises his eyebrows. "Flay Allster's father? Huh. Figures he'd find a way out here."

"Put him on," Murrue orders. When the captain appeared on screen, she saluted. "Hello, Captain. It's good to see a friendly face again."

"I'm sure, Captain Ramius," Koopman acknowledges. "From your casualty figures -and manifest- it looks like you've had quite the trip, since Heliopolis."

She nods. "Yes, Sir, we have, and we're looking forward to reaching Earth Alliance territory."

"It won't be long now. We're to escort you to the rest of the Eighth Fleet, Admiral Halberton is waiting, and very relieved to hear of your survival."

Just as he says this, Antonio enters the bridge. He was wearing his fatigue uniform with the shirt unbuttoned, he still wearing the dark sunglasses to protect his eyes.

"Hey people," He begins in particularly loud voice as he goes to the front. "Hope I'm interrupting anything. I heard we made contact with the Eighth fleet."

Natarle shoots a glare at him as he passes by, _Of all the times to be so damn casual… How embarrassing…_

Koopman too frowns at Antonio, apparently not recognizing who he was. "I recognize Lieutenant La Flaga, but who might this be?"

"This sir is," Murrue, who also embarrassed by UN officer's rude entry, answers, "Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire."

Koopman drew back in surprise. "The Antonio Le Saint Claire? The Serpent of Kaohsiung?" He calls him his many titles, "What's he doing there?"

"It's a long story, Captain," Mu told him. "But to make it short, he and his team happened to be in Heliopolis when ZAFT attacked, they've been escorting us ever since.

The man seated next to Koopman -clearly George Allster- was far less doubtful than his military counterpart.

"Well, well, well," George said with an ironic smile. "You're on the same ship as my daughter? So, I've been worrying for nothing, you're safest person she can possibly be with."

Antonio grins widely. "Yeah, just my luck to be, not only busy protecting a couple hundred civvies. I had the luck of getting you're little princess in my hair too."

George burst out laughing, "Watch it, Tony." He playfully waves a finger at him. "I admit, I spoiled her bit, but she's my daughter."

Antonio chuckles, he then notices Koopman, who was a little off balanced by the two former spec ops' very casual greetings.

"Captain Koopman," he said calmly, giving him a salute. "Like Lt. La Flaga has said, we've been escorting the Archangel on its way here. Our reasons of doing so are for the one hundred thirty-two Heliopolis refugees currently seeking refuge in this ship. It was a decision Captain Samsonov of the Carrier group Agares and I have made because there was not enough room within her group to carry these remaining people. My team and people of the Basilisk had accompanied me for that same reason. The Archangel's records should give you details that are more exact. Does that satisfy your question sir?"

Koopman nods at him respectfully. "More than enough, Lt. Colonel, your assistance is much appreciated."

Murrue noticed that quick change of Koopman's demeanor toward Antonio as soon as he found out who he was. Technically, Captain Koopman outranked Antonio but he treated him as though he were an admiral himself.

Mu was apparently thinking of the same thing as he whispers to her, "He commands respect even among our military's bigwigs, not bad for a guy who left our army as a sergeant 1st class."

Murrue nods, "Just goes to you how powerful the Le St. Claires are." She whispers back.

"By the way, Captain Ramius," George Allster began, "I couldn't help but notice from your passenger list that -as I mentioned a moment ago- my daughter happens to be on your ship. I'd like to arrange to meet with her as soon as possible..."

"Military considerations, I'm afraid, come first at the moment, Vice Minister," Koopman reminded him. "You'll recall that the Archangel carries what is right now our best hope of ending this war."

"Yes, of course," Allster says hastily. "But when it's possible..."

In CIC, Sai exchange amused glances with Mir. "Yeah," he said softly, "that's Flay's father, all right. She'll be happy."

"Yeah," Mir agrees.

A few minutes later, the link with Montgomery was cut, and Murrue turns to Antonio, she gives him stern look. "Next time, don't come in here acting as if you own this ship."

Antonio shrugs sheepishly, "Hey, how should I have known you guys already com linked up with the 8th?"

Natarle sighs as goes to side. She was shaking head but she was also smiling, which was rare to everyone working in the bridge. "You are so crude."

"But effective," The six foot one Equatorial added confidently, he lowers his sunglasses and gives her a quick wink.

"Ooohhh…" Mu said as he heard this.

Natarle smirks and raises her own eyebrow, "Touché."

Murrue sighs in exasperation, "Oh forget it." She then smiles, it was so hard to stay serious when Antonio wasn't. "We'll let you off this time, Lt Colonel."

"By the way," She continues. "You were really casual with the vice minister back there, do you know him personally?"

He nods, "Yup," he said easily, "George was my squad commander back when I was in the rangers. He taught me the ropes of special-ops."

**Archangel, Woman's Shower **

Mir, walks through the halls hearing the civilians all being happy for that battles will be unlikely now, as she comes up to the doorway to the woman's shower rooms. However, she saw a UN soldier she recognizes as Lt. Daniel Spear and Michael Takahashi by the doorway. Which to Mir means one thing, he was waiting for someone, most probably, Dr. Fletcher and Regina.

Mir walks in, as the running water was going, as she also seeing Flay with a facial mask on her face. Getting all perked up for seeing her father, who was told by Sai that the man was aboard the Montgomery. Mir almost jumped seeing Flay with the facial cream, or mud, or whatever it was on her face.

"What is it?" Flay asks the surprised, girl, as in one of the stalls, Naomi was taking her own shower, having the water splash off her nude body.

"I should be asking you that myself, Flay." Mir tells her, as she came into the room more, placing a small handbag on the bench near by. "And what is that on your face?" she asked.

"It's a facial mask." Flay answered her, peeling the green substance off of her face.

"Take it easy on her, Flay." Regina calls out, from under the running water. "No offence Mir, but Flay, she's not as rich as you or me." she told her rubbing strands of her hair, with the hair cleaner.

"None taken Gina, and Flay, it's amazing you managed to bring this stuff along." Mir comments, as she began to take her own clothing off, to take a shower in the stall beside the doctor's. She too was also amazed with what Flay had in that purse of hers she took into the pod.

"It's because dad's coming with the Advance fleet." Flay tells them, as Naomi lowers her head, as the water ran through her hair, washing away the soap.

Naomi remembers what the UN soldiers who happened to be in the cafeteria spoke of when she was saying those things to Lacus earlier.

_So she this is George Allster's daughter, his daughter… _Naomi thought as she observes the young girl.

"I am the daughter of the Atlantic Federations vice Minister, I can't be a mess now can I?" she asks as Mir put her clothing on a railing, as Naomi's was beside her own.

"Miss Allster, I know it isn't my business." Naomi comments as Flay turned to the woman in the shower. "But you shouldn't be so biased against Coordinators."

"What do you mean Ms Fletcher?" Flay asked her.

"Why do you hate coordinators?" Naomi asks from the stall. "Is it because of your father?"

Flay looks over to her location oddly, "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Well, Kira is a Coordinator isn't he? You're friendly with him." She comments. "While that other one, you don't want anything to do with, why is that?" Mir wondered that too, she steps into the shower and began to take one herself.

"Kira is different." Flay tells her, combing her hair with her fingers.

"How so?" Naomi asks her.

"Well he, he. . . He just is okay!" She raises her voice.

Regina smirks as she silently listens in, she complete understood her tone. The girl may have feelings for the young coordinator. "Don't be so nervous, it's just the four of us in here."

"But Flay," The Eurasian continues seriously, "Naomi is right, and when you said those things to that girl, Kira took them to himself."

"Kira was hurt because of it." Mir also speaks out for Kira.

"Well, I. . . I . . ."

"You're really gonna have to apologize to him," Mir tells her. "Its least you can do for him."

Flay nods.

"Listen, you got to get rid of this anger, besides what did they actually ever do to you?" Regina asks her, as she grabbed a towel and wraps herself with it.

"Regina's right, you would be surprised, of how many friends you have, and the people you know," Naomi tells her with a sly smile, as she too gets out of the shower, "That are coordinators."

"And what do you mean by that?" Flay asks the woman.

"Oh, nothing really, it's just something I had to say." she tells the girl, as she gets dressed, _If you only knew…_

**In the Hangar,**

Kira sat in the Strike's cockpit, typing rapidly, there were a few adjustments he'd thought of, and was now adding them to the machine's OS.

Kojiro Murdoch, passing by on a routine inspection, heard the distinctive sound, and stuck his head through the hatch. "Huh," he said to himself, unable to see the screen from his position. "Wonder what's up this time?" He'd more than once found the kid in here at odd hours, forever tweaking his machine's software.

Kira finally noticed the mechanic's presence, and pushed the screen aside. "Is something up?" he asked.

"Nah," Murdoch replied. "Just wondering what you're up to. Tweaking the operating system again?"

The pilot nodded. "Yeah. Mostly just routine stuff, but I also had a few improvements to make. Uh..." He glanced around. "Guess it was unnecessary," he finished sheepishly. "I mean, we just made rendezvous with the advance force, so..."

Murdoch grinned. "Just keep doing what you're doing, kid. It's still your job, for a few more hours, anyway." The grin grew wider. "You know, you're pretty good at this stuff; you could always enlist, if you want to keep at it." Without waiting for a response, the mechanic left, chuckling to himself.

Kira waits till he was gone, "Not a chance in hell."

"Well, that's a damn shame," a calm voice says

He looks up quickly. "Mrs. Kajiura?"

Miyuki floats just outside the hatch, arms crossed. "Kira, you don't have to call me that. …I'm a missus anymore, remember?"

"Sorry."

"Forget it," the former commander waves a hand.

"What did you mean, 'a shame'?" Kira asks aloud.

"You could do a lot of good in this war, Kira," she replies. "Like Lt. La Flaga said, the day we came aboard. You have the power to make a difference. There aren't that many people who can make the same claim."

She absently holds her wedding ring attached to the loose chain around her neck, whilst looking up the roof of the cockpit. "Sometimes, war can be decided by a handful of people that includes you."

"But I don't want anything to do with this war," Kira said, irritated. "This isn't my war; not for any of us who were on Heliopolis."

"I thought I told you before, Kira." Miyuki said in almost motherly tone. "War doesn't discriminate, it doesn't matter if you don't want to fight or not. By attacking Heliopolis, ZAFT made this Orb's conflict, too, whether they like it or not; and I doubt the Equatorial Union or the Kingdom of Scandinavia will be able to stay out of it more than a few months longer either, whether I like it or not."

"That doesn't mean I have to have any part in it," the younger Coordinator said stubbornly.

"I know," Miyuki tells him calmly, "Because you're just Kira Yamato, an ordinary coordinator student from Orb. Nothing more nothing less, just how you like it."

Kira looks at her, "… Yeah…"

"I completely understand that," the older coordinator said looking out the cockpit. Kira notes her tone changed, it sounded… fragile…

"To tell you the truth I'm jealous of you. You can just walk away from this without any real reason to care about. While I can't… I lost too much to just leave it all behind."

"You also have the power to make a difference, don't you?" Kira tilts his head. "Why me?"

Miyuki lets out a humorless, much forced laugh. "The power to make a difference? Me? Oh, sure, tell that to the people of Junius Seven."

This surprises Kira, "You mean…"

"Yeah," Miyuki said bitterly, not bothering to hide her pain. "I was there when it happened, I couldn't do shit. And look what I did after that… all I did was cause so much death, pain… sorrow."

"You on the other hand, might be able to do something to make up for my mistake, more than I ever could, I'm sure of that."

Kira looks down at the terminal, keeping silent for moment.

"I'm sorry… but it's my choice, Yuki," He tells her, finally calling her by her nickname. "I don't want to be in this war, and I'm getting out as soon as we reach the Fleet."

Miyuki nods. "It is your choice, I can't argue with that. But just case the war comes to you again, I want you have this."

She hands him a black snub-nosed .22 revolver.

"Thanks…" The young man raises his eyebrows. "But… I'm not into guns…"

"I wasn't either when Antonio gave it to me ten years back. Just keep it as insurance." She gives him a few quick pointers on how to use it.

"So, what are you going to do, when we reach Earth?" Kira asks as he tries opening the gun's chamber. "It can't be easy for you, either... especially since the Earth Forces know who you are. They won't just let go back to Morgenroete."

"No, it's not too hard," She replies. "The decision is easy. Hell, it's my only choice." She squares her shoulders. "When we rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet, I'll offer temporary services to Admiral Halberton. Since I'll be only person left to pilot the Strike, I'll probably stay with Archangel. And if push turn to shove, I may agree to divulge a few ZAFT secrets if I have too…"

"And you think they'll accept that?" Kira asks skeptically. "What kind of use would they have for you, then?"

"A lot, especially if they want me to go work on the African Community. And yes, they'll accept it, or at least Halberton will." Miyuki rubs her nose. "Besides, even if doesn't work, I can always blast my way out of there."

"Even if it's the whole 8th Fleet?" Kira was more skeptical now.

"Yeah, All they got are mobile armors after all," She says bluntly. "Look Kira, I'm not exactly looking forward for this."

"I know..." Kira says frankly. "I don't envy you."

"I don't envy myself either," Miyuki chuckles, a genuine laugh. "If I had my choice, I'll still be wearing ZAFT colors. But since I don't... I'll just do whatever I can and make the most of this path I've chosen. Just as you follow your own path in life." She pushes herself off the cockpit. As she floats away, she raises her hand in a lazy salute. "I don't know where yours will lead you, Kira, but I wish you the best, good luck."

Kira finds himself returning the salute, "You too, Miyuki-sama."

"Say hello to your parents for me."

"I will."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Meanwhile, several kilometers away in the Vesalius,**

"Well, this is interesting..." Rau Le Creuset murmurs, staring down at the main display. "I do believe we've picked up the legged ship's trail. How interesting indeed, considering our mission has nothing to do with her..."

"A pity we can't do anything about it now," Captain Ades said, stroking his chin. "Now that we've rebuilt our mobile suit complement, and joined up with the Ursa Major, we might actually have a chance of taking her, even with the advance forces helping them out."

His superior glances at him. "What makes you think we can't do anything about it, Ades? We can easily catch up with them from here."

Athrun, also present, looked up. "But, Commander, aren't our orders-?"

"To search for your fiancée, Miss Clyne," Le Creuset finishes for him. "Yes, Athrun, I'm well aware of our orders. However, it's not as if we can just let the legged ship go, now that we've found her. Miss Clyne has waited a few days; a few hours more, if she's even still alive, won't matter much." He turned to another display. "Captain Marshall? Do you concur?"

Marshall takes a moment to smoke his cigarette. "Of course," the other commander replies coldly. "One of that ship's suits cost mine quite a lot of damage, we're looking forward to returning the favor."

"Yes, we all do" Le Creuset knew Marshall didn't like him, odds were he was going to do things on his own accord sooner or later, most probably when they engage the legged ship. But he was one of the best ship captains ZAFT had left, he also had a lot of friends in ZAFT's upper echelons, he's someone you wouldn't want to anger. Rau will let him have his way, the man will get the job done anyway.

"Nonetheless, Captain," he went on, "I suggest you not let your emotions get in the way, or it may cost you your life and your crew's as well. We're not going against a typical enemy."

"I know that," Douglas replies calmly. "They may have one of those new Earth Forces machines, but luckily, our engineers have already reverse-engineered much of the technology from the units we captured. It's still in the early prototype stage, but Command deemed it appropriate to assign to me the DEEP Arms project unit, for combat trials."

Le Creuset nods thoughtfully. "Prudent; a standard CGUE would do little against Phase-shift. I was not, however, aware that any DEEP Arms units had yet been produced for combat."

"They're the first," the veteran commander informs him. "We also have the original prototype with us along with its pilots."

"Oh?" Rau replies, "Shiho Hahnenfuss and Chris Gransiere are under your command? My, my… along with commander Donahue and Marvin Hayes, actually having one third of the Swords with us… We may just have a chance."

"Then it's settled," Le Creuset says at last. "We launch the attack, destroy the legged ship and the advance forces, and then return to our search for Miss Clyne. Captain Ades, begin preparations at once."

_Kira… _Athrun was getting more and more worried of his friend's sake.

"Commander, we also have an extra DEEP Arms without a pilot, it was originally assigned to Ms. Hahnenfuss but chose to stick with the original. I believe Miguel Aiman is the only one in your regular team still using an unmodified ginn?"

"That's quite generous of you," Rau remarks.

"Generous nothing," Marshall snorts. "Command ordered me to give you the last unit when I reported the switch."

"I see. Well, thank you nonetheless. Aiman will appreciate it."

Marshall nods. This was killing him in the inside, Wynn and Miyuki were also in that ship.

_Ready or not, guys… here we come._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back in the Archangel's bridge,**

"We're approaching rendezvous, Ma'am," Neumann reports. "It won't be long now."

Murrue checks the plot for herself, and notes the ETA. "A couple of minutes," she murmurs, vastly relieved. "It's almost over." She glances at Mu. "I'm sure our passengers -including the volunteers- will be very glad when we reach the Eighth Fleet."

"Yeah," the pilot agrees. "What about you, Ant?"

The Spartan of Waves was again, beside the captain. "I'm just glad this escort job is over, Mu," he said calmly. "The mission's done and everyone's alive, injuries here and there but alive. That's all that matters to me."

Mu nods at his old instructor, "Right."

From behind them came a grunt, then frantic typing at Pal's station. "Radar interference!" he calls out. "N-jammer levels increasing!"

Murrue reacts instantly, hitting an intercom button. "All hands, Level One Battle stations! I repeat, all hands to Level One Battle stations!"

Antonio sighs, "Apparently, I spoke too soon."

"Ready Gottfrieds and Lohengrin," Natarle barked. "Lieutenant La Flaga?"

"Already on it," the Hawk replied, heading for the elevator, he sees Antonio following him "Ant…? You're not going to… in your condition."

"I've done it before," Antonio replies, already shedding his shirt coat, he pushes himself toward the elevator hatch. "C'mon, we haven't much time." He pauses. "What're we dealing with this time?"

Tonomura consults his detection systems. "Two Nazcas," he answers. "One has launched six Ginns, along with... I'm not sure yet. The other has deployed another four, as well as three units the catalogue doesn't recognize. Best guess is some new variant of Cgue."

Antonio frowns in confusion. "Cgues never went into mass-production... Forget it. We don't have time…"

As he was leaving, he hears one last exchange between Murrue and Tonomura. "We've identified the fourth machine as the Aegis, Ma'am."

"Then we know exactly which Nazca one of them is."

_The Aegis..._Antonio thought. _Kira and Wynn will be thrilled..._

**Corridor leading to the Archangel's Hangar**

Kira runs as fast as his legs can carry him without sending him careening through the corridors in the zero-gravity environment. His rush was quite understandable, as was his illogical sense of the universe being unfair.

_It's just not right_, he thought to himself. _We're this close to rendezvous, this close to us getting off this ship and my not having to fight again, and this happens!_

One thing that he found reassuring, he wasn't alone. Antonio, Mike, Mu, Miyuki, Wynn and the other pilots were all backing him up all the way.

He was passing through the crew areas when a door slid open, and a voice stopped him. "Oh my… What seems to be the rush?"

Kira almost groans when he realizes it was Lacus, once again straying out of her quarters at a bad moment. Still, he sympathizes with the girl, so he took the time to be polite.

"There's a battle going on," he told her. "Or there's about to be. I'm sorry, but this really isn't a good time for you to be out of your quarters, okay?"

"I understand," Lacus replies, at least this was better than the mess that had landed her on the Archangel in the first place. "But please, Mr. Yamato, be careful out there."

Puzzled and harried, Kira didn't take the time to try to figure out her meaning. "I will," he said simply, and took off again... only to run right into Flay Allster.

She was standing in the corridor, looking far more nervous than Lacus. "I hear there's another battle starting," she said worriedly. "Is everything going to be okay?"

Kira hesitates. It was no secret -so it seemed- that he was… well... fond of Flay, and he didn't want her worried, or, worse, hurt and possibly incur the wrath of Antonio Le Saint Claire who seemed to be quite close to her. But he honest to God didn't know what to say. "Uh, Flay..."

Flay clutches at his arm. "I know this ship will be all right, but my father is out there, with the advance force. Please, Kira..."

He manages a reassuring smile. "I'll protect him, Flay. And the Archangel. Everything will be all right, so don't worry."

She nods, still unsure but now reassured, and release his arm. "Thank you, Kira."

"I'd better go." Kira took off down the corridor again, hoping deep down that he could, in fact, fulfill the promise he'd just made... and scared that he couldn't.

**Archangel's Hangar **

Antonio pulled himself easily into Chimera's cockpit, as ready for battle as ever.

The first thing he did was to carefully place a photograph in one corner of the instrument panel; it was the same one he'd taken from Darren's hands. Then he made sure that this time he had three loaded Gamma Gliphalium syringes with him, one session of the over secretion treatment was enough.

"This is Le St. Claire," he calls to the Bridge. "Ready when you are."

"Roger that, Lt. Colonel," Murrue replies. "However, orders are to stay back and let the advance forces handle things."

"What," Antonio was understandably surprised, showing it with his raised eyebrow. "Is Koopman nuts?" he asks with a very skeptical tone. "There is no way a single Nelson-class and two-Drake-class ships, even with their mobile armors, can match this ZAFT attack force. Eight ginns, the Aegis, and several new Cgues types? Skipper...?"

"We're aware of that, Lt. Colonel," Natarle cuts in sharply; but apparently, she wasn't pleased about it, either. "Orders are orders, though. And it's three new model cgues, another came out after you left the bridge."

"Is that so," the pilot mutters to himself.

_So this is how the EA orbital fleet operates_, he thought, _I'd disregard them if I have my usual way. But I guess the Earth Forces Orbital Fleet don't have much initiative._ He snorts. _No wonder they're losing the damn war._

"All right, standing by."

_George…_

**Outside, **

Kira finally arrived, in full flight gear. "You're late," Wynn tells him from the door of her cockpit, though it was obvious the delay didn't mean much with the strange orders Koopman had given.

"I'm sorry," the pilot apologized, without giving details, and plunged into the Strike.

Once inside, he too began preparing his machine for combat, sensing that Archangel would not remain on the sidelines for long. _Athrun... will I have to face you again? Will you try to destroy this ship again? Because if you do... I may have no choice but to shoot you down._

Shaking off these thoughts, Kira keyed his radio. "Wynn, Lt. La Flaga, I'm ready."

"Good to hear it, kid," Mu replied, he was even less bothered by Kira's tardiness than Murdoch. "I don't think we're gonna be able to stay out of this one, so keep on your toes. If things get bad, just remember to follow the other's lead, they'll get you out alive."

"Got it."

"Just don't place too much faith in others," Wynn warns. "There are a lot of machines out there again, and two of them we don't recognize. Keep your eyes open, and remember the things I taught you."

"I will, Wynn." In the days since Artemis, Wynn had put Kira through the simulators, using old UN scenarios. These included the Battle of Kaohsiung and the land battle of Casablanca, the only time the UNAAF fought with the Earth Forces and the only time did the Alliance clearly won.

She'd kept a close eye on her young friend's simulations, and the test results impressed her. He'd only been four actual battles before that, twice at Heliopolis, and once in Artemis and the Debris Belt. She was starting to understand why Luke was so suspicious of Kira at first. She herself was starting to wonder if Kira was hiding something from her.

_He's incredible,_ Wynn thought to herself. _Too bad, he's not sticking around, we could really use him..._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The Bridge of the Montgomery**

Atlantic Federation Vice Foreign Minister George Allster watches the oncoming ZAFT forces with nervous anticipation, but he manages to keep his nerve.

_This can't be happening_, he told himself. _Not here, not now…_ _Not with her here… So close…_

"Launch our mobile armors," Koopman was ordering. "Ready all weapons and prepare for combat. Not that it'll do any good," he added under his breath.

Allster looks at him in the corner of his eye, "There's so many; we can't possibly stop them all. If we have the Archangel to join, they may just tip the balance…"

"They could," Koopman acknowledges, "but even then we'd be outnumbered. The important thing now is to give them time to escape, and get their ship and cargo to Ptolemaeus." He gave the politician a cold look. "We are expendable, Vice Minister, and they are not. Those are the facts."

"Expendable?" Allster closes his eyes and smirks. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"You seem to be taking it well, Sir," the captain comments.

"If I lost my nerve and I survived," The vice minister gives him a dimpled smirk. "I'll never hear the end of it from Tony and Mike."

"You must know Le Saint Claire very well," Koopman says. "From what I understand, you trained him?"

Allster nods, "I was his squad commander when he was still in the Atlantic Federation Army, he was already a piece of work when I first met him, all he really needed was for someone to take out the rough edges."

"I can trust with my daughter, even if die here. She still has him."

"Besides," he looks at the Montgomery's captain. "I'm not afraid to die for my country. Are you?"

"Of course not," Koopman replies to the vice minister with a smirk, who earns his respect. "It'll be a good pleasure to die with you."

"Thanks, hopefully, we don't have to do it today."

A crewman called out a warning. "Captain, we have engaged the enemy."

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**In the Bridge of the Vesalius,**

"And so it begins," Le Creuset murmured. "I doubt it will take very long for us to fight our way through this rabble, but their sacrifice may actually buy the legged ship enough time to withdraw. What do you think, Ades?" he asked, turning to the captain.

Ades took a moment to think about that. He wasn't brilliant, and he knew it, but he did have a decent intellect.

"They may have time to withdraw," he said slowly, "but there may be one factor to delay them."

"Exactly," Le Creuset replies. "They'll also be reluctant to sit by and watch their comrades be blown out of space; such is human nature."

Ades nods, though there was something was bothering him. "But what about Le Saint Claire? Surely, he would be come up with a way to thwart us. Our advantage of numbers means little against him."

"It's quite all right," his commander assures him. "That's exactly why I requested the Donahue team to accompany us, I know for a fact during the last war, Visch's team back then was operating under our current adversary's command. He became quite acquainted with him. Good friends in ways."

Vesalius' captain stared at him. "You mean...?"

"Oh yes, Ades," Le Creuset said calmly. "I myself know Antonio Le St. Claire quite well but not as well as Visch. He'll know what to do against him."

Almost as a backdrop to the conversation, a mobile armor and the Earth Alliance Forces Escort Ship Law vanished into a fiery end.

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**Bridge of the Archangel**

Murrue watches helplessly as the first of the three escort ships was blasted out of space by the ZAFT forces.

_This is unbelievable_, a corner of her mind whispered. _We come so close to rendezvous, only to have it disrupted by a chance encounter with ZAFT forces... and now we're outnumbered. Is there any way out of this situation?_

The screen on her left armrest lit up. "Captain," Mu began, "we have to do something. The advance force is getting slaughtered out there, and we're next. I don't think we can get out of this without a fight."

"But our orders-" Murrue protested.

Her right-hand screen came on. "First off," Antonio starts in that was obviously not happy. "I only followed those orders because they're from Halberton's fleet. Second, a soldier is supposed to obey orders to the letter, even to the death. But this is definitely an exception. If we stay like this, skipper, we'll be throwing lives away, screw those orders and give us the damn green light!"

The UN officer's forcefulness told Murrue he had a hidden motive. Something about the way he talked about throwing lives away made her think, he wanted to do something. It wasn't ego or self-preservation gone out of control. He didn't want someone to die.

_George Allster…_ She thought, remembering the jovial exchange the two had earlier. _He wants to save him…_

He was letting his emotions get the better him, but she understood how he felt, he was just human. She felt exactly the same way.

"I don't like your tone Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire," she says slowly. "But you're right. There'd be little chance would escape even if we did withdraw anyway. Very well," she continued, looking down into CIC. "Launch all mobile suits, and Moebius Zero."

"Yes, Ma'am," Mir responds. "Load the Zero into the port catapult, and Strike to starboard. Prepare all other mobile suits for launch."

**Archangel's Hangar**

"Finally," Frank in his Firefly mutters, "I was beginning to think the skipper'd wait until the advance force was all gone..."

Not that he expects the ships to survive anyway; the Archangel's intervention might save herself, but with the enemy forces arrayed against them, Montgomery and her remaining sister were doomed no matter what happens.

In the starboard catapult, Kira lowered his visor. "Strike here. I'm ready."

"Roger that," Mir answers.

Sai's voice breaks in. "Be careful out there, Kira. And remember, Flay's father is on one of those ships, too."

"I know. I won't forget." His grip tightens on the controls. "Kira Yamato, launching!"

To port, the Moebius Zero was being loaded, while the Strike Ginn took Strike's place being equipped with the Sword Striker pack. "You ready, Kajiura-san?" Mu called, lowering his visor.

"Ready as I can be," She replied. "This is going to stink, Mu."

"Tell me about it." He grips his flight stick. "Mu La Flaga, launching!"

"Miyuki Kajiura, launching!"

The Zero catapults slightly ahead of the Strike Ginn, they were followed by Daniel's Headhunter and Luke's Legionnaire Scorpion, then Frank's Firefly and Amon Rochefort's ginn.

Amon decided to remain with Archangel under Antonio's command. He had been in the Jamie Savage's crew largely because he really had no where to go, he couldn't move freely as he wanted because technically, he was ZAFT defector. He had asked Antonio if it would be okay for him to come along, at least until they make it to Earth. Being the very giving person he was, Antonio agreed, and after talking with Jamie a bit, he gave his consent and wish Amon luck.

"Lawman, Snow, Spear, Rochefort" Antonio radios to them. "I want you guys to stay behind here with the Archangel and Basilisk just in case somebody decides to sneak up on us again!"

"Roger," They respond in unison.

The Wyverns were the next to take a place in the platforms. "Aelia, Wynn, box formation forward of the AA."

"Roger." The twin prototypes launch together.

Finally, it was the turn of the Chimera and Siginarugan.

"C'mon…" Michael mutters anxiously as the indicators in him screen to turn green. "We're coming George."

Antonio was also feeling the anxiety setting in, _Damnit… we should have launched earlier._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Montgomery's Bridge**

"Status change!" a crewman calls out. "Archangel seems to be deploying-"

He broke off as a ginn came uncomfortably close to the Bride view port.

"Valiants one and two, FIRE!" Natarle, in the Archangel, orders. The ship fires both cannons at the enemy, destroying the ginn.

"Looks like the Archangel's come to help." Allster says, taking a deep breath from their close call. "Even with your orders."

"Looks that way," Koopman mutters. "I can't say I'm not surprised, Lt. Ramius was Admiral Halberton's protégé. She's just as stubborn as he is."

"Antonio probably her convinced to do so," Allster offers. "His pride would never allow him to just sit and watch people die. You know the motto of we Rangers don't you?"

"Never leave a man behind," Koopman answers. "But he should know better."

"As I was saying," the crewman continues after several moments, "the Archangel has deployed the Moebius Zero and its mobilesuits."

"I wonder what Le St. Claire is planning to do," Allster said as he observes the positions of their reinforcements. "I'm not familiar with space combat but the odds are still definitely against us."

Koopman glances at him. "Right you are, if he does a plan I sincerely hope he acts on it soon."

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**"Jesus…" **

Antonio mutters to himself. "What a goddamn fine kettle of fish…"

He jabs at his radio. "Yamato! Keep the Aegis busy. La Flaga, Yuki, handle those GINNs!"

"Roger that." Kira had been intending to do that anyway. _I don't want to fight you, Athrun, but better me than anyone else._

Strike peals away from the pack.

"C'mon Mike," Antonio yells, "Straight to the Montgomery!"

"Right!" The Siginarugan transforms it RHEA into its wing form and holds onto the Chimera from behind. Michael pushes the throttles, the two suits sped off.

"Ton-Ton!" Miyuki calls, "The Chimera's Rommel Panzer is still damaged from the last battle so it's inoperable, so watch for beams!"

He responds with a grunt.

"And don't do anything stupid!" She quickly adds.

The Zero and the Strike Ginn were left to go after the main force. "You think we can handle all those GINNs, Kajiura?" Mu asks. "Sure are a lot of them."

"The GINNs don't worry me," Miyuki replies, frowning. "It's those Cgues. It appears to have beam weapons... and their flying maneuvers seem familiar..." She shrugs it off, she fires the beam rifle she added to the Strike usual loadout.

The ZAFT pilots instantly recognized the "White Ghost or Phantom" as it became known, and some hesitated, while others went straight for it.

"Here they come," Mu warns. "And here we go."

"Copy," Miyuki pulls the Schwert Gewehr, and she tightens her grip on the controls.

Even as Strike and Aegis began to clash blade to blade, neither saying a word, the first ginns reached Mu and Kajiura, the chaos begins.

Mu pulls around, taking as many Gs as he could stand, and sent its wired gunbarrels spiraling out, firing at all directions.

Meanwhile, the Strike Ginn aims its rocket anchor at one enemy. The 'lucky' pilot gasps in surprise as the Panzer Eisen shot out at him grabbed his ginn's arm, and retracted, pulling him in.

The sword swept toward him but did not plunge into the cockpit, as expected. Instead, Miyuki swept it lower, cutting through the Ginn's legs, then cuts both arms, leaving the mobilesuit capable of little more than maneuvering. "Judging from your movement you're probably green," she whispers. "You don't have to die here."

As Strike Ginn lets the badly-damaged machine go, the pilot patches a link to his commander. "Commander Hahnenfuss, ma'am, I'm sorry. I'm out of the fight."

"Get going, Dennis," Shiho ordered. "We'll handle it from here."

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. These people are good."

Unbeknownst to either of them, Miyuki was been listening in on the ZAFT frequencies, and now her eyes went wide with shock. "Hahnenfuss…?" she whispers. "Shiho!"

Mu was surprised to see the Strike Ginn wheel around and head straight for the Cgue DEEP Arms, ignoring all else... even the pair of ginns that were trying to stop her. "What's the matter with you? Where you going?"

"One of my old friends is out there," She replies tensely.

Mu frowns, 'old friends' probably meant a Sword. He suddenly felt a little wary of his surroundings, "Who? Don't tell me it's 'Steel Huntress' Carrington or 'Death's favorite daughter' Legna!"

"No," Female pilot replies, "It's Hahnenfuss."

"Hahnenfuss?" Mu didn't recognize the name, "Who's that?"

"She's one of the younger members of the team," She explains. "But don't let that fool you, she's just as dangerous in the battlefield as Wynn is so I can't leave her alone! I'll have to stop her."

Judging from her tone, Mu figured she was dead serious. She wouldn't have picked whoever she'll be facing into her team if she or he wasn't cut out to be a Sword in the first place. And she probably wanted to fight before anyone else did, maybe even try to talking her out of this.

"Go get her," he says finally. "I'll try and keep the ginns off you. But be careful, okay?"

"Thanks Mu." She replies gratefully, "I owe you for this."

"Just come back in one piece," He replies. "I don't want to end explaining what happened to you to the Captain."

Miyuki cringes at the remark, "Right… Thanks…"

The Strike Ginn charges toward the DEEP Arms cgue with the Schwert Gewehr in hand. The DEEP Arms spots her and pulls out its laser sword. Shiho's blade caught Miyuki's, forcing him back a step.

Miyuki quickly pulls out Chaya, and swings it and the anti-ship sword together. Shiho parries the attack, then in, a circling motion, forces both weapon upward following through with a quick thrust toward the cockpit. Miyuki turns her suit's body sideward to evade, then pulls back.

Miyuki smiles proudly at the skill Shiho was showing. "Well done, looks like you've been practicing"

She intended those words for herself only, she was caught by surprise when she hears Shiho's reply in the radio. "Thank you commander."

"Shiho!" She yelps, "How did you-?-!"

"I figured you'd been listening-in to ZAFT frequencies." Shiho replies, "You'd always make the most of every advantage you gain."

Miyuki blinks. Looking at her radio, she realizes that it was left with the speaker on.

"Oh, I see…" She mutters, mentally kicking herself for it. _Great going you kumquat. _

"I already knew you were in the legged ship," Shiho continues calmly.

Miyuki was flabbergasted, "W-what…? How did you…"

"Visch told me and Chris about everything after we boarded the Ursa Major."

Miyuki's heart skips a beat, "Visch…? He's here too?"

"Yes," The younger pilot replies. "His entire team and so is Chris. Chris and I are officially here to do combat trials for this mobilesuit you see here. While Visch and Rau are supposed to be looking for Ms. Lacus Clyne but we've happened to come across the ship you're on."

"I see…" Miyuki was struggling to swallow all this information thrown at her. "So you know why I left?"

"Yes." Shiho replies.

Miyuki saw the DEEP Arm's left hand letting go of the sword's handle, she thought Shiho was going to stand down. But that was when she sees the cgue raising it arms into a high position sword stance. "But I don't believe it."

**The Chimera and Siginarugan were on either side of the Montgomery**

Michael as gets an update from the Archangel, he shakes his head. "It's all FUBAR in all ends of this shoot-out, Ant."

"Tell me about it," Antonio mutters as he fires the gatling shields of the Chimera.

"Lt. Col. Le Saint Claire!" Mir calls suddenly, "You've got an enemy group incoming, three ginns and two of those new cgues! They came from a third ship that's currently engaging the Basilisk, our sensors haven't detected until now."

Mike grits his teeth, "What?-! Oh, not again!"

"How're the guys holding?" Antonio calls.

"They barely holding out, but they're fine for now." Natarle replies suddenly, "We'll support them as much we can, you guys just focus keeping the Montgomery in one piece!"

Antonio nods, "Roger... Thanks."

**Inside one of the DEEP Arms cgues going at the Montgomery,**

Cynthia Knowles smirks at the two mobile suits. "Is that the mobile suit Takahashi's using?" she asks, as she draws her beam sword and went for it. "Donahue! I'll take the Siginarugan, you take the Chimera!"

In the other DEEP Arms, Visch nods. "Roger." He destroys another set of missiles with his katana and wakizashi, Dusk and Dawn.

Inside it, Michael looks at the cgue Cynthia was piloting, its flight pattern was familiar.

"Is that her?" He asks himself, activating the Sidapa Double dual beam scythe, to the DEEP Arms' sword. The two machines came at each other, as their weapons made impact.

"You are mine Spartan of Hell!" Cynthia yelled, as the Siginarugan keeps the beam weapons locked together. However, Mike splits the Sidapa into two and swings one beam kama on the mobile suit, Cynthia expertly parries it with a second beam sword she had installed on her unit. "Give it up! Do you truly believe that you can take me?-!"

"Never changed did you Cynthia Knowles." Mike sneers, as the two mobile suits broke off from each other.

"I'm glad you still remember my name…" Cynthia replies, as the Siginarugan, flipped its left hand beam kama so the two beam weapons would merge. "Now, I'm going to kill you!"

"Not chance." Mike snorts to the ZAFT pilot, as the two machines just looked at each other. "You couldn't finish the job in Casablanca, so this'll be no different."

However, back at the Montgomery, it was about to be attacked by the three ginns. "What, damn George!" Mike yelled at himself, as he blasts towards the 250 meter ship.

"You're not getting away from me!" Cynthia yells as he gave chase after the mobile suit.

Kira notices the Montgomery was in danger as well, however the Aegis got in its path. They exchange beams, dodging or blocking attacks from each other. That was when both machines ignite their beam sabers, attacking, and blocking the others shields. The two machines back away. "Kira, you said you were not apart of the military!" Athrun calls to him.

"I'm not! I'm just protecting a friend's family!" Kira calls out, as he fired upon the Aegis.

Knowles catches up with the Siginarugan, as the two began to once again do their deadly dance. "What does that ship matter to you?" Cynthia yells, as the sparks flew from the beam sabers. When the DEEP Arms breaks off the Siginarugan for a moment, the AAW22 guns of the black mobilesuit opens fire, broad siding into the DEEP Arms, shaking it up.

"I don't need to know Knowles," Mike told him, he pulls out the M20 200mm. beamcanon. "Now leave me alone, and let me do my job!" he calls out, as Knowles just barely dodges the attack.

"I'm not going down that easy!" Cynthia yells, as she came in slicing away the barrel of the cannon.

"Damn!" Mike curses, as the beam saber came at him again right for the cockpit. "No you don't!" He calls, as he blocks the attack with the Sidapa, then splitting them again into two. The two mobile suits were again facing down each other, "Don't underestimate me, I'm better than I used to be." Mike told her, as weapons were flailed all over the place at each other.

**Meanwhile, the Basilisk was under attack, **

The Wyverns break away from their defensive perimeter near the Archangel. Amon, Frank, Luke and Daniel stay to protect the prototype Earth Forces ship against a full squad of ginns.

"We're gonna be overrun if there's anymore of them…!" Luke grits his teeth as he uses his Heathawk to fend off a ginn.

"Keep bloody quiet," Frank grumbles as he repeatedly fires his linear cannons, "You'd jinx us. If you say it, it may just happen."

"Where the hell were they hiding these things?-!" The usually cool Daniel mutters out of frustration.

The only person who seems to be keeping his cool was Amon, who effortlessly parries an enemy ginn's sword with his own, then counteracting by slashing off the head.

All four veterans were doing their best to defend the ship, the problem was their enemy was also doing their best to destroy it. And these pilots didn't seem to be fresh meat pilots like the ones they fought before. This was going to be a seemingly long battle.

**Wynn observes one of the Cgue Deep Arms attacking the Basilisk **

She notes that it was constantly using its boosters, speeding around to avoid the rotary cannon fire.

Her face quickly darkens, "Gina, I'll take that one speeding around."

"You know the guy?"

"Yeah…" Wynn growls angrily, "It's the Magic Bullet of the Dusk."

Miguel grins, seeing Wynn's machine zeroing in toward him.

"So, Aelia," he called, keying his radio. "You've realized who I am, have you?"

"Shut up, Aiman." Wynn snarls. "Y'know, you're really, REALLY tempting me to send you to your maker."

"Oh, someone's going to meet their maker today," Aiman retorts. "But it won't be me!"

"Whatever. This is going to end like it always does…" The young blonde haired pilot raises her beam saber, attention entirely focused on her target. Even when Strike and Aegis flash past, Wynn's eyes didn't waver.

"…You'll lose and I'll win!"

"Is that a fact?" Her adversary sounds amused. "Don't count on it, Sir. You may be flying one of those fancy G-machines, with that fancy Phase-shift armor, but it won't do you any good at all against beam weapons."

The new-model CGUE armed both shoulder-mounted cannons, and drew the huge laser sword sheathed at its side. He attacks, swinging the sword while simultaneously opening up with the cannons.

Wynn lets loose a loud cry, and quickly moves to counter the initial strike. Her beam rifle intercepts and nullifies the incoming energy streams and her saber clash with Aiman's blade. "You won't be that easily, pal! By the way, in you didn't noticed, my unit doesn't have phase shift, Dumb-ass."

"Well excuuuuse me, I'm not exactly a technical type. And did I say I thought it would be easy? Sorry, toots, but I gave up underestimating you a long time ago." Aiman swings his weapon again.

"Y'know something else," Wynn launches a cluster of missile from her left leg missile pod. "You're really getting on my nerves!"

Miguel grins, dodging the assault, "Now that's a compliment."

**While the Siginarugan and Knowles' DEEP Arms were busy trying to obliterate the other,**

With Antonio and Visch, their machines float in space as they stare the other down.

"I never thought we'd ever meet on opposite side of a battlefield," Antonio comments, jettisoning the gatling shield, he then pulls out and twirls the Mandarangan glaive.

"Me neither," Visch responds, swinging both arms into a sword stance as he held Dusk and Dawn.

Even though both machines were a bit hesitant, they connect weapons. "Let's see how much you've improved!"

The Chimera pushes Visch's DEEP arms. Visch backs off then came in again, as the two mobilesuits clash together, small sparks came off the impact. As the Chimera began to force the Mandarangan towards the DEEP Arms, Visch breaks the lock, then backing away. Antonio ratchets up the pressure and chases after him, twirling the Mandarangan as he swings, he also fires his CIWS and AAWs.

"Well, well," Visch murmurs with grin, "Time to get serious."

Visch place the wakizashi, Dawn on a customized slot installed on his DEEP Arms cgue's head. He attaches the blade to it by the handle. The DEEP arms then pull out the suit's standard beam sword.

Antonio frowns, "Oh crap…"

Visch begins to counter, Antonio has the Chimera dodge a left horizontal attack from Dusk, a right horizontal attack from Dawn, and then a vertical attack from the DEEP Arms' beam sword. Visch slashes at the Chimera again, which blocks the DEEP Arms with the Mandarangan.

"I will protect my friends, even from another friend." Antonio tells himself, as he and Visch continue their duel.

**Miyuki and Shiho, another pair of old friends begin their physical and personal battle**

"What do you mean you don't believe me?-!" Miyuki calls back to her, as the Strike Ginn made no real attempt on Shiho's machine, most of the time just parrying the DEEP Arms' attacks. "Didn't Visch show you the data from GENESIS?-!"

"I've seen them!" Shiho yells back, as she came in full force, firing her cannons but misses the Strike Ginn completely, as it made a vertical climb, or so it would if it was in atmosphere. "But you could have easily fabricated those files!"

"Shiho, the data you saw was the truth! That's Patrick Zala's final solution!" Miyuki called out to the pilot she had once taken under her wing, as the Strike Ginn was running away from the DEEP Arms by going in reverse. "And those files have all the ZAFT high command authorizations, even Grey can't fabricate those all. Besides what will I gain by fabricating those thing?-!"

"Then," Shiho began, as her beam sword came down upon the Strike Ginn, which got the katana and wakizashi, Chaya and Be-day in the path just before the sword could come down upon the cockpit of the mobile suit. Shiho was quiet as she thought of what to say. "Then tell me Yuki, why did you leave the Plants?" She asked him, "Why did you disappear all of a sudden...?"Miyuki closes her eyes, "I had to get away from Patrick." Miyuki replies, "Because I was the one who knew GENESIS best, I was the one who thought of the idea in first place…"  
She looks down, "And because I was the one who created it as it is now." This causes the DEEP Arms to stop right where it was. "Even so, you had us, we were still a team, even after they broke us up!" Shiho says. "Why didn't you just tell us?" She yells at her as the beam of her sword went out, the two machines stare down each other. "Why did you disappear without telling anything to us anything? Why did you leave us, like we never matter to you?"  
"Why did you leave me?" Shiho says softly, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice. "Don't you realize how it felt for me for the past year…?"

"Do you realize how much torture it was to hear every rumor of you killing yourself…?" The young coordinator whimpers.

"Shiho…"

"At one point, I felt so naked without you. You were my scabbard, protecting me from the outside. You're closest thing I ever had for a mother…"

Shiho's mother died when she was a baby from an airport terrorist bombing while visiting the Oceanic Union, the suspected perpetrators were Blue Cosmos. From then on Shiho pretty grew up by herself, she didn't have much of a connection with her father, who was busy working his way up the ZAFT ranks. She initially joined the ZAFT academy with the intention of getting his attention, it never really panned out. But this is also when she first met Miyuki who was an instructor during the time. She took a liking to the smart and very hard working young coordinator. When Shiho graduated, she, along with Janus Llewelyn Aelia and Leona Gransiere were the first additions the Ame-no-Murakumo unit. Her bond with Miyuki grew into an almost family bond.

"I really want to believe, Yuki…" Shiho manages to say, "But… a part of me lost faith in you…"

Miyuki sighs, she knew full well leaving the Plants was going to hurt her, but didn't realize it would be this bad.

"Shiho… I'm so sorry…"

**Mu looks at the various confrontations taking place all around him and shook his head.**

They were spread out thinly and who knows how many more ZAFT ships were out there. Mu also had his doubts about fellow pilots holding out in this any longer.

But, he had his own problems. Miyuki was still engaged with the new type cgue, and all of the advance force's mobile armors had been shot down, along with Law. Now that all that was left, was himself, Bernard, Montgomery, and Archangel.

A moment later, another flash lit up space, and Mu curses.

_Correction_, he thought. _Scratch the Bernard._

He pulls around, dueling with a ginn and curses as he takes one in the main engines. Now he had no choice but to pull in his wired gunbarrels, because without their maneuvering thrusters, he couldn't move. _Time to go... damn it..._

The Zero swings around, heading back toward the Archangel at the best speed it can manage.

"Archangel, La Flaga," Mu calls. "I'm hit, and returning. Listen, there's no way we can win this, we have to get out of here, now."

"We're trying," Murrue replies. "I just got a message from Captain Koopman, telling us to save ourselves, but I don't see how we can."

"Neither do I," Mu mutters. "I guess we better start calling back some of the pilots…"

Within Archangel, though, someone else had another plan, and Flay Allster makes her way to the Bridge...

…along with a certain someone in tow.

**"You're not getting away from me,"**

Michael hisses, clashing blades with the Cynthia's Cgue. "Not today."

Knowles breaks away, jets upward, and opens fire with her cannons. "I didn't say anything about trying to get away, did I, Takahashi?"

"No you didn't, fortunately." The glasses wearing pilot smiles thinly, "I hope you have a will written up." He took the cannon shot on his RHEA's rightwing, and spares a moment of his attention for a ginn. It had tried to get in behind him. Using his Sidapa, he cuts both arms and its head in fluid motion. The ginn retreats, leaving now, only two ginns and Knowles herself remain to fight the Spartan of Hell.

They clashed blades again, and then both duck aside as a beam shot rushes toward their vicinity. The huge shot caught a ginn in the chest, disabling it.

"Thought you could use a little help, Mike," Antonio called, he was still sparring against Donahue a distance away. "I hope I wasn't being intrusive," He adds.

"Thanks," Mike grunts, and switches frequencies. "Well, Knowles? Feel like giving up?"

"Not in you life," She hisses, blasting another volley at him.

"Well you had your chance," Michael replies, and opened fire with his unit's rarely used beam canon and continues to fire it. He then lunged toward Knowles' DEEP Arms, swinging the Sidapa beam scythe.

"Do me a favor," he grunts, "Tell Patrick, his mother wears army shoes!"

Cynthia curses, when the beam blade cut off her machine's right arm. "I'll get you for that, Spartan!" she cried

Then suddenly, the battlefield froze as all ears listening to radio transmissions from the Archangel.

All on the battlefield listened as Flay rants. "Tell them," she shouted, apparently unaware that a link had finally been opened, "that if they don't stop firing on my father's ship, I will kill this girl!"

"What the hell?-!" Mike yells in surprise. "Flay, what are you…?-!"

Knowles snorts. "That girl thinks the life of the Clyne girl means that much to me? Think again." She spun her DEEP Arms around and targeted the Montgomery with her cannons.

"George!" Antonio spots this in the distance, "No!"

Visch, seeing that Spartan of Waves' focus was shifted to the Montgomery, makes his move. Antonio was about to go at Cynthia when Visch once swings his swords at him. Antonio stops the attack and thanks to his quick reflexes, he blocks it in time with his Mandarangan.

The Chimera tries to boost away, but Visch's DEEP Arms cgue doesn't let up. Visch and Antonio clash together furiously and non-stop, one was trying to get away, the other was impeding the former.

"Get out of my way!" Antonio yells with obvious desperation in his voice.

"Sorry…" Visch replies, trying to be as cold as he could. "But I can't just let you go!"

"My friend is in that ship!"

Visch stares at him with disbelief, he was used to hearing that from green soldiers who have yet to taste the bitterness of war, not hardened veterans. "This is war! You of all people should be used to it by now!"

"Just get out of the way!-!" Chimera's attacks suddenly became wild and erratic. This however wasn't an advantage to Visch as he was struggling to be block and dodge the attacks.

_No…! Flay…! Please don't…! Not in front of Flay!-!_

"Game over," Knowles says indifferently, and pulls the trigger. Michael uses his Sidapa to cut the beam canon into two, but it was too late.

Enough of the beam already left the barrel to make a devastating hit on the Montgomery.

George closes his eyes, knowing his life was over. "Flay… I'm sorry… Antonio… I'll leave the rest to you…"

He, Captain Augustus Koopman and the entire crew of the Earth Alliance Forces 250 meter Nelson-class Escort Ship Montgomery vanish in the outburst of light and heat that follows, whilst Flay Allster and Antonio Le Saint Claire both scream in anguish.

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**A/N: **This chapter turned out a little convoluted with several last minute additions… But it sure hell made it interesting! Well I'm already working on the next one, I really want to get to desert battles especially with the build up for is already taking place, so stay tuned. As usual, please R & R!


	17. Phase13: The Rules of War

**A/N: **Well, time for the infamous Lacus Clyne hostage situation (except mine has a twist) and her subsequent return to the Plants. There'll be plenty of character interaction again in here. Also in this chapter, Murrue and Miyuki, are they still friends or no more? Hope y'all like it.

**Phase 13: The Rules of War**

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**The Montgomery was destroyed, along with Koopman and George Allster**

To Antonio, everything in the entire battlefield stopped.

His mind was numb. He didn't know how to react, would he just break down? Should he still go there, looking for any survivors however unlikely it was? Or should take it all out on Visch? He had no idea.

He's been in this situation before, but no amount of preparation or experience can make it any less painful.

He was breathing was moderate in a pace, so was the beating of his heart, as he watched the flames from the Montgomery fade out.

Visch's DEEP Arms was by the Chimera. He understood from personal experience what the other man was going through.

"He must've been a close," Visch murmurs, looking on to the Nelson-class's remains.

Antonio doesn't say anything for a while.

"Yeah…" He says eventually with a deep sadness that Visch can understand, "He was… my friend."

**Th Siginarugan moves even as Knowles' DEEP Arms targets its surviving weapon on the Archangel.**

Michael's machine sweeps down, the beam scythe, Sidapa cuts through one of the cgue's last cannon from behind.

"Why don't you just die?-!" she screams out furiously as she pulls out her beam sword.

Before Knowles could even begin to try a countermove, Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, shouldering the nearly-catatonic Flay aside, and snatches Kuzzey's headset.

"Attention, all ZAFT forces," she calls through the mic, _I can't believe I'm doing this… this better work, Kajiura… _

"I would suggest that you cease combat operations at once. We have someone aboard whom I believe you wouldn't want anything to happen to." She turns Kuzzey's display, bringing Lacus into view. "No doubt you recognize her, but in case you don't, this is Lacus Clyne, Supreme Council Chairman _Siegel_ Clyne's daughter." She raises an eyebrow. "Now, I leave it to you to consider what would happen to Miss Clyne if you were to continue your attack."

Instantly after the broadcast, Miyuki's face appears on Badgiruel's own monitor. "Was our situation that bad, Ensign?" she asks.

Natarle nods, "It was," She answers simply.

Miyuki looks to her side and sighs, "I understand… leave the rest to me."

Senior crewmen in the Bridge gasp as they saw the mask of Morrigan Legna as she places it onto her face, "Everybody in the bridge… keep this quiet among the crew as much as you can, until we settle this…"

Natarle nods, "We will, commander."

**Vesalius' Bridge**

"Another incoming transmission, it's from an enemy machine." the Communications officer calls out.

"This is the pilot of the Striker System Testing Ginn Platform, former ZAFT unit commander, Morrigan Legna!" She calls out in a forceful authoritarian voice that was nothing like Miyuki's voice, she stops the battle going on completely, at the mere mention of her name.

"Morrigan Legna?" was whispered on the bridges of all the ships.

**Inside the Archangel**

"Isn't that the Sword who caused the Ides of March…?" Pal asks, shocked by what he was hearing.  
"She is, and ever since Heliopolis, we have had her onboard this ship." Natarle shakes her head, "She's turn out to be quite a chameleon." The ensign looks the captain in side ward glance, who didn't seem to be surprised by the declaration.

**On the Vesalius, **

Rau frowns, hearing the name of Legna.

"So, the one known as Death's Favorite Daughter has finally revealed herself." Rau shook his head, as Ades looks at his commander.

"You actually believe this?"  
"Yes, her voice is unmistakable."

"As you have heard from the current executive officer of the Archangel, Chairman Siegel Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne is aboard the ship you are about to attack, I cannot guarantee her safety if you plan to continue your assault." Morrigan tell the ZAFT forces in an absolute icy voice. "If you do continue, it is possible that you could KILL Lacus Clyne with the ship, how many of you would even dare return to the Plants finding out, that it was YOU, and YOUR ships that killed her?"

**Legna's companion units were as confused as the ZAFT forces were.**

"SHE'S Death's Favorite daughter…?" Mu was absolutely flabbergasted.

Wynn was completely shocked by the obvious threat her former commander had given, "Yuki-sama…"

"And I thought I was good in keeping a low profile…" Daniel shook his head.

Michael, who had been aware of Miyuki's alias, shook his head. "So it came to this…"

"You knew…?" Regina asks as her Wyvern goes beside him.

"Yeah… sort of…"

**"You can't be Commander Legna!"**

Athrun calls out.  
"Ah, it's you, Athrun Zala is it? How's your father? He's doing well I hope. I honestly hope you've grown a little more backbone since I last saw you, clutching to Kajiura's arms like a spineless worm." Morrigan comments to him cruelly.

With that, she shows her image to all of the ZAFT ships. And they saw that it was indeed the face of the feared ZAFT Commander.

**Vesalius Bridge **

"Now, this is an unexpected turn of events," Le Creuset murmured. "Ades."

"Commander!" Ades turns to him.

"Cease Fire, call back our mobile suits, one thing I know about her, when she gives a threat, she'll certainly carry it out."

The masked man pauses. "And if Commander Knowles tries to object, please remind her that our original mission out here is to rescue Miss Clyne... and that the penalty for violating those orders is execution."

"Yes, Sir." The captain didn't hesitate, partly because he too, was unsure of what Knowles might do. She has always had a problem with authority.

Le Creuset shakes his head slowly. "What a development… Of all people… It had to be Legna?"

**Out in space, to where the Strike and Aegis**

Kira Yamato stares at the Strike Ginn with utter shock, Athrun with utter fury.

"Kajiura-sensei..." Kira whispers. "What are you..."

"Legna! How dare you, how dare YOU!" Athrun calls with so much outrage. "How can you stoop so low?-! Taking Lacus Clyne, a civilian, hostage!"

"I am not taking her as hostage, Zala, I'm protecting her from you!" Legna snaps back at the young man. Athrun was surprised at this claim. "Tell me Athrun, you were planning to continue the attack on the ship that currently has her, weren't you?" She calmly told the teen. "And if I didn't interfere the way I did, you would have killed her. Do you want to explain to all of the PLANTs' in habitants, or to her father for that matter, on how you murdered Lacus Clyne?" She asks the Aegis pilot.

Athrun was shocked and humbled by this statement, and it was true, if it weren't for her inference, if he did attack… she would've died.

"Fine… Commander Legna, I'm counting on you to keeping her safety, and Kira's. Both of you joining such a ship, and the very people that killed Junius Seven, do both of you see this as justice?" Athrun asks them.

Under the mask, she closes her eyes, and answers the question as Miyuki Kajiura. "I've chosen a path that I don't necessarily want… But this, is the only way will I ever atone for all my sins in this war."

"The people in that ship are those who I care deeply and obligated to protect. Until they are safe, I will whatever it takes, I will not stop protecting that ship, from my former comrades, my friends, even from you or your father."

Athrun looks at the Strike Ginn, he reluctantly nods.

"Okay… please keep Lacus safe." Athrun told the two pilots. "Kira… do so, for an old friend." he says as the Aegis turn around and retreats to the Vesalius.

Miyuki Kajiura, 'The Ultimate Shield' and Morrigan Legna, 'Death's Favorite Daughter,' then turns her attention to Shiho, who had kept silent for the whole time. She too was taken aback by what had happened.

Shiho doesn't say anything, her DEEP Arms simply turns away, boosting full throttle back to Ursa Major.

Miyuki bit her lip as her young friend goes. "Shiho…"

She then keys her radio. "Kira, let's return to the _Archangel,"_ he said. "There's nothing left to do."

"Roger that," Kira answers, still feeling the shock of Kajiura's ploy.

After some thought, she presses the radio again. "Kira, this is how war is played. But even so. I'm sorry, that I had to do it in front of you and the others."

The young coordinator nods, appreciating the older coordinator's sensitivity. "You had to do it… To protect the ship."

**Elsewhere in the battlefield**

Cynthia Knowles glares at the Siginarugan, but she knew better than to attack now. Whatever her feelings about the Spartan of Hell, her main objective was the protection of the Plants. Even if it meant saving Lacus Clyne.

"We'll finish this another time, Spartan," she hisses, heading back toward her own ship, the Nazca-class Manawa, which had joined late in the battle. "And tell Legna that I'll enjoy killing her if I ever meet her in the battlefield.

"Whatever," Michael replies bluntly, "Now get out of my hair."

**In another DEEP Arm's cockpit, **

Miguel Aiman felt a rage like he never felt before.

"Well, Aelia?" he demanded. "Using a rescued civilian as a hostage? Do you still feel justified in fighting by the sides of these cowards?"

Wynn doesn't reply at first.

"Well," Miguel yells louder, "Are you justified?-!"

The blonde haired coordinator's green eyes look up toward Miguel's machine. "There's never any justice battlefield, Aiman. The commander did what she had to."

"That's a load of-"

"Is it?" Wynn interrupts him, "A leader once said 'There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.' (- Abraham Lincoln)"

"Miguel, even though my commander has threatened the life of my friend, even I have to accept that extreme measures have to be taken to protect the ship I'm guarding."

"You're a coward, Aelia!" Miguel hisses.

"And you're a naïve fool, Aiman!" Wynn snaps, "The first rule of war is to survive, and that is what we're trying so hard to do!"

"Pah!" Miguel scoffs, turning his suit around. "I'll get you one day, Aelia."

"That's still a very long time, Aiman!" Wynn yells back.

**Antonio and Visch were also parting ways, they had a quick chat before that did.**

"You gonna be alright Ant?"

Antonio nods, trying his best to smile. "Yeah… I'll live."

"Don't force myself, I know how're you're feelin'."

He sighs tiredly, his face reflected that. "Thanks…"

"Hey… How's Yuki doing?"

"She's fine. She's got a lot of good people with her."

Visch nods, relieved, "That's good to hear."

"Ant," Michael calls from the radio. "I know you're hurting… We gotta go. C'mon, let's head back."

"Roger that," he answers, sounding subdued.

Visch had heard the call to, "I better be heading back too, tell Yuki and Wynn I said 'hi'."

Antonio nods as they parted ways, "I will, see you again."

The two forces turned around, leaving the battlefield to the fallen.

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**Archangel's Bridge **

"I can't believe you of all people did that." Jethro stares at Natarle with a raised eyebrow in a mixture of surprise and amusement.

The ensign stares at him, not particularly proud of what she did. "I couldn't just sit by and let the Archangel be destroyed," she shrugs helplessly. "The advance force was gone, what else could we do?"

The ensign turns to the captain, "Commander Leg- I mean Kajiura, had requested me that this action was to be made in case we were absolutely overwhelmed. She believed that we couldn't handle another large scale assault. Forgive me for not telling you, but Ms. Kajiura had also requested our agreement to be kept between us. I will accept any punishment you see fit."

Murrue looks at her for moment, then sighs, "You two did what you had to do."

"What's done is done." she went on, "However, I do intend that we never use this tactic again. Whatever its tactical merits we cannot continue to act in such a manner if we are to claim we're better than they are. I'll let it pass this time, but never again." She stares at Natarle. "Is that understood, Ensign?"

The ensign meets her gaze levelly. "Yes, Ma'am."

Murrue rubs her head. _The aftermath of this is not going to be easy to live with..._

"All units have returned, Ma'am," Mir reports.

"All three Nazcas have recovered their mobile suits and withdrawn from the battle area," Tonomura added. "Archangel's and Basilisk's immediate vicinity is now clear of all hostiles."

"Good," Murrue finally allows herself to relax. "Stand down from Level One Battle stations, and resume course to the rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet."

"Yes, Ma'am."

**Archangel's Hangar **

Antonio powers down his mobile and opened the hatch, while taking off his helmet. He takes a deep breath and exhales.

_What a mess…_

As he walks through the deck, he hears Mu saying something about a curse. "It ain't the ship," he was telling Murdoch, "It's Le Creuset. I'm getting really tired of that guy."

"You aren't the only one who feels that way, Mu," Antonio says, struggling to keep his voice even, "He's gonna regret this day. Before this war is over, I'll make sure of it."

Mu flinches at the tone. "Right… And what do you think of your cuz and the ensign?"

"They did what was logical," Antonio shrugs tiredly, "That's how war is played sometimes."

"You don't seem all that surprised… you knew she was… you know…"

The older pilots nods, "Yup… she told me before."

"I just wonder how the Skipper will take it," Mike says as he and Regina joins them.

"I'm wondering that too." Antonio shook his head.

Mu sighs, "Me three…"

Antonio tilts his head to the direction of the Strike Ginn's usual spot, "C'mon, let's make sure nothing else unexpected will happen today."

Mu nods, "Right…"

**Upon entering the hangar of the Archangel, **

The Strike Ginn lands in its designated position powering down its phase shift armor. The pilot takes off her helmet, then her mask. She stares at it as she cradled it in her hand. She sighs, feeling that she did something dishonorable and just plain wrong. She opened the cockpit of the Strike Ginn.

As she expected, all eyes in the hangar was in her direction. No one who didn't knew her past in ZAFT couldn't believe she was _her_.

She ignores their gazes, as four armed soldiers, along with Murrue, Natarle and Jethro behind them, stood in front of her.

"I guess, I have some explaining to do?"

Murrue had a dismayed look on her face, she simply nods. "Please, I want you to go to my office." Murrue told her, as Miyuki nods, taking her harness off, and following the female officers to the hangar doors along with Mu, Antonio and Mike.

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**As they walked the halls, **

Several of the crewmen watch as they take Miyuki, Morrigan, or who ever she truly was. Whispering, wondering what was going to happen.

Wynn manages to get herself beside her former commander, "Yuki… When you had the ensign say those things… would you really…"

"I did," Miyuki answers. "I'll do whatever it takes… Even if I'll never forgive myself. Llewelyn… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be… It's okay." Her young former teammate looks ahead, "I understand. I know how it works."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." She looks at her with a smile, "We're in this together, commander."

Miyuki smiles gratefully and nods.

As they continue to move, Antonio catches a glimpse of Sai, Kuzzey, and Mir all taking care of an unconscious Flay, who fainted from the battle.

"Flay… I'm so sorry…" he murmurs himself.

**Upon a short while later, they were in the Captains office. **

"Now, what is this meeting about Captain?" Miyuki asks.

"I'm wondering the same thing, does it really matter?" Wynn says.

"Of course it matters 2nd Lt. Aelia," Mstr. Sgt. Jethro Lance Mills tells her, who apparently had taken the role of the interrogator. "How exactly, are we so sure that it wasn't your Miyuki, Morrigan or whatever, wasn't the one that leaked the information about the Advance fleet?"

"Because I wouldn't do that, even though I personally don't like Flay Allster's father, I would not leak that kind of information. I am not that kind of person." she replies evenly.

"Sgt. Mills" Mu begins, "So what if she is Legna, she's still protecting this ship."

"That is true, but how are we sure that she wasn't the one who told ZAFT of the G-Weapons in the first place?" Jethro asks him.

"Then why the hell did I try to stop them from damaging the Strike?" Miyuki asks. "I'm not even part of this military, and yet I'm being treated as a traitor to it." she informs the lot of them. "In fact, I would more likely put on trial to both Orb, and ZAFT, but not the Earth Alliance, sure I wear one of your pilot suits, but I am no Earth Forces Soldier."

"I understand Ms. Kajiura," The grey haired sergeant tells her. "But all we really want to know now is, are you also Morrigan Legna and if you are, what is her story?"

Miyuki looks into his steely eyes. She sighs, and pulls out the mask and places it on the desk for everyone to see.

"Commander Morrigan Legna, 'Death's Favorite Daughter' Identification number: nine-one-eight-zero-one-three. Secondary commander of the then the Ame-no-Murakumo team also known as the Swords of Zodiac, call sign is Libra. Last assignment, ZAFT Special Forces, a major factor during the Battle of Nova, Uroboros and Ides of March incident."

"I created her to protect my identity when I was beginning to work in Special Operations," She explains. "She gets the fame and notoriety, while I'll still be able to go around the Plants with anybody knowing who I am. Together with Grey, another teammate of mine, we made a complete record for her, made everything she need for it, academy diploma, Social Security Number, Birth Certificate, licenses, we got it."

"You sure went to a lot of trouble for an alias," Mu comments.

"I wanted her to be perfect, so as I can still just be an average schmuck in the Plants." Miyuki shrugs, "I hate getting too much attention."

Murrue manages to smile for one moment, she knew that was true.

"I see…" Jethro replies. "Not very many within the Plants know of this, do they?"

She nods, "Just my team, along with Ton-ton and Mike. Personally, I'm surprised we managed to keep it this long."

Jethro nods, as he looked at the young widowed mother. "Will you still fight for us Yuki, Morrigan?"

"Just call me by my true name, sergeant, and yes, I will stay with you, until I can return to Orb." she tells them.

"However, as long as you are concerned, that Morrigan Legna does not exist on this ship. I only said those things, to stop the attack, and that it is true of who I am. I do want to help you, and the only way you can do that, is to keep this secret about me."

"That's against Earth Forces protocol," Jethro tells her, though he knew he was a flimsy excuse. "Not to mention ours."

"Yes it is, and so is taking a potential hostage to the Earth Forces," Wynn reminds him, as Miyuki left the room. While with all that, Antonio and Mike both smirk.

"Now, that was interesting." Antonio comments, as everyone besides him, Jethro, Mu and Natarle left.

"Should we keep surveillance on her?" Jethro asks.

"No, she's proved to us that she's willing to fight her old comrades to protect this ship." Antonio tells him, "And will you quit being the devil's advocate already?"

"Besides, if she was the enemy, do you think we would even be alive right now?" Mu asks him, as he left the room as well.

"He's right, we should get back on the bridge, just incase something else goes wrong." Natarle comments, as she left behind Mu, heading towards the bridge.

"Sorry," Jethro smirks, as he also leaves the room, saying as-a-matter-of-factly, "Somebody had to play the asshole prosecutor role."

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**Archangel's Infirmary**

Antonio had asked his group to be alone for a bit, pangs of guilt were busy gnawing into him. The Montgomery was right in front of him when it was destroyed. He felt guilty for what happened, and for Flay, who was suffering for his mistake. He floats to the doorway of where she was being taken care of, as she went into a comatose state. The door slides open, Sai stands up at the sight of him. "Oh, Lt. Colonel, it's you. You came to see Flay?" he asked.

"Just call me Antonio," He takes the seat beside the bed and looks over Flay. "How is she doing?"

"She's still asleep, from that shock of the Montgomery being destroyed." Sai replies, as he also looks over to his fiancé.

Antonio reaches out and strokes her hair gently.

"Flay… I'm sorry." Antonio tells her, as Sai looks over at the officer. "I'm sorry for failing you again."

"What do you mean?" Sai asks him.

"Nothing…" he replies, standing up again. "It's just a habit… I want to be here for her when she wakes up."

"I think she would appreciate it." He told him.

The officer nods, he then leaves the room. As he walks down the halls, his fists were balled tightly. He grits his teeth, with a furious roar he loses himself and punches the wall with such force that a dent formed.

"DAMN IT!" he yells, his voice echoes through the halls, carrying with it his pain.

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**Archangel, Observation Deck **

Miyuki Kajiura stands in the little-used compartment at the rear of the _Archangel_'s superstructure. Revealing her other identity had left her strangely relieved, hefty weight had been taken off her chest. It was a small consolation, but better than nothing, much better than what others had.

She knew Antonio was probably agonizing somewhere else in the Archangel, he had lost a friend, Flay's father. Flay'll probably be doing the same thing when she wakes up. Kira was most definitely also experiencing his own private hell. As for Murrue, she was probably still rationalizing about her.

Natarle Badgiruel stood a couple of steps behind her, she had informed Miyuki of Murrue's say on the last battle.

"Ensign," Miyuki says after the officer. "Forgive me for forcing you to make that decision, it should have been done before the battle had even begun."

Natarle shook her head, "No. There wasn't any reason to do so at that point, there's nothing to apologize for."

Miyuki looks over shoulder, "Thank you. Ensign."

The black-haired officer nods, "Your welcome, Commander Kajiura."

"Say, ensign…" The brown haired former ZAFT pilot calls as the younger woman leaves, "What's with this 'Commander' stuff all of a sudden?"

Badgiruel looks back, giving her a sheepish shrug. "Let's just say, you've earned my respect."

Miyuki raises an eyebrow as the ensign finally leaves, almost smiling.

She turns her attention to space, "Well, at least it'll be easier for us to communicate in the bridge…"

Her thoughts quickly went back to Murrue, and Dmitri Koya, who died in L4 during the Ides of March incident. She didn't truly know if personally she killed him of not, but she did, she knew which particular Mobilearmor it was.

**March 5, 70CE, Larange point 4**

A unit ginns mercilessly blast a Nelson-class on its side, despite the fact it had already exploded, they kept shooting.

"This is for those who died in Junius Seven!" One pilot yells. This was the common goal for every ZAFT pilot in this battle, revenge, for the atrocity done to one of the Plants. For every family member, friend and comrade who perished.

Lenneth Carrington in her Cgue, brandishes her machine to the bridge of another Nelson. She cries furiously as she unloaded the weapon on the helpless target.

"C'mon you scum!" She yells as she draws out the Dainslef spear, "Show me what you've got!"

She goes on top of another ship and plunges the spear's point repeatedly and mercilessly. She wasn't usually like this, but she was outraged like everyone else in the plant for what had happened in February 14, she wanted compensation for it. She wanted blood.

This was also Morrigan Legna's intention when she ordered the attack. Her Cgue Assault Shroud, prowled slowly along the wreckages of destroyed ship, searching for stragglers. This engagement was only several minutes old, yet it was already almost over, but there were a number of mobile armor pilots still fighting. Despite the futility, they kept fighting, even though some they were only in Mistrals armed with a pair of measly 20mm. guns. They figured, if they were going to die, then might as well take a few with them. So far, none of them were successful.

That was until the ginn behind her suddenly exploded. Her Cgue moves fast, twirling the 'Todeschere' scythe to deflect the incoming rounds. She felt that those shots were fired from three separate directions, but her sensors only indicated there was one enemy unit.

_Moebius Zero…_ She thought, as she scans the area for her opponent. "Where are you…?"

Her question was answered by a barrage coming from above. Her curses as her get her unit out the line of fire, she take several hits but were minimal thanks to the armor from the Assault Shroud.

Out of pure instinct, she fires her all her rounds in her Pardus and wrist mounted RPG launchers, along with the shoulder mounted gatling guns. This takes out two gunbarrels.

The Zero withdraws its two surviving gunbarrels and seemingly moves away.

"You're not getting away from me…" Morrigan gives chase, firing the gatling guns as she did.

As she got closer, the Zero suddenly turns around while still maintaining its current course, he lets loose his two remaining gun barrels.

She expected him to fire, so she twirls her blades. But she quickly realizes that he wasn't firing, he had the two barrels' wire extend to there furthest and were now on either side of Morrigan's Cgue. They fire, and hit it one where the Assault Shroud's armor was weakest. Morrigan yells from the impact.

She immediately breaks off the chase, inside the cockpit, Legna grits her teeth as she inspected the damage. The controls that were connected to assault shroud weapons weren't responding, that last attack had disabled the unit's hard wiring to the system. That only left her with the Todeschere and the machine gun.

"I'm not done yet…"

The Zero sees that the cgue was moving away, it doesn't chase her down immediately, the pilot seemed to be weighing his options, but eventually he gives chase.

It had lost sight of her as she goes into field of debris from several destroyed ships. The pilot slows down slightly, wary for any sudden movements. As he entered the debris field, he spots what he thought was the cgue. He cautiously moves in, that's when he saw the thing fire its machinegun, he quickly moves into action, using his gunbarrels and linear cannon to hit the target.

It was only when he got closer did realize his mistake, it was the wearing he had taken out earlier, with part of the cgue's assault shroud hastily placed on it. The machinegun was probably made to go off by timer. The Zero was about get out of there, but it was too late.

Morrigan Legna's Cgue was behind him, she drives the Todeschere in downward slash with a potent cry and cuts the Zero in half.

She watches remorselessly as the Zero explodes in front of her, the flash reflects off her eyes and mask.

**Back in the Present**

Miyuki snaps out of her trance, she felt tired… and sick. After a moment, she notices someone was beside her.

To her surprise, it was Murrue, looking out into space. Just standing there, wistful and forlorn, her arms crossed. Her marigold eyes look out into the vastness of space. They remain silent for a moment, Miyuki was about to start a conversation when Murrue beats her to it.

"A part of me hasn't forgiven you."

This silences her, an icy chill threatening to stop her heart, it sounded almost like what Shiho had said to her. She hoped for a more affectionate response, but... "Part of me hasn't forgiven myself either," she says instead.

"I can understand why you did it. We did it to you during Bloody Valentine." She sighs, still not looking at her friend. Not even a wayward glance. "I'd probably end up doing the same thing if I were in your position."

Miyuki didn't understand. When war comes, her life was in danger, she goes into the fray, barking orders to people who look up to her. Her life and my reputation are on the line, and that bothers her not one bit. But when this usually sweet, kind and understanding woman from Massachusetts is angry at her, and all of a sudden she's the simpering little girl hiding behind her mother again, frail, fragile, and worthless.

"You've really changed," Murrue continues.

"Yeah…" She made no effort to hide the shame in her voice, though at least her eyes never failed her. Maybe this all was just one big war of the heart. If she looked at it that way, she could maybe at least feign some form of courage. "Sempai... you know that I didn't enjoy doing that to you… I... I cried."

"ZAFT's 'Ultimate Shield' of the Swords of Zodiac, crying? I thought you were stronger than that. I've seen you at your best. You could be nearly cleaved in half and still be more concerned with minor scrapes and cuts on the others. You look death in the eye and smile, yet, the rest of us would be lost without you."

"Please, Murrue, don't. I'm not that spectacular."

"Oh, but you are," Murrue counters, turning to face her very swiftly, she looks at Miyuki in the eye. "It only took you two short months to acquire that title of yours didn't it? 'The Ultimate Shield? You can do anything, fight, plan, train, cook and all the while you're raising your little daughter for God's sake. You could probably break mountains in half if you tried... like... like..."

"Like those twigs we jumped onto in your grandfather's farm when we were little girls?"

She paused, blinking at her, looking almost as if she were going to cry. This also draws out an angry glare, as she probably was of the conviction that she would cry no more tears.

"I know you, Sempai. I remember that cold, murderous glare in your eyes as you told me how you wanted revenge for him. I remember the pain and the anguish that you were suffering—that pain that tears your soul to shreds. You can't fool my eyes. They see everything."

Murrue almost looks at Miyuki as if she were going to slap her, or worse. "I almost hated you," she murmurs softly. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here, doing any of this. You were my strength, and you took that away from me."

That cold look in her eyes returned, and Miyuki felt her resolve wavering, almost like she was preparing herself for something violent. "And you expect me to just accept you with open arms? You expect me to just drop everything, and act like nothing is wrong, when you've given me such pain that I've spent nearly nine months of my life crying myself to sleep? When you took Dmitri away from me?"

Murrue may not have said much, but what she did was enough. More than enough, more than what Miyuki needed or wanted to hear. Despair overtook her and the tone of her voice changes into something colder...

"I get your point, Murrue." Miyuki words were perhaps a bit harsh, but she couldn't hear any more of this. She takes off her glasses and return's Murrue's glare with an absolutely frostbitten one of her own.

She'd cry later, yes, but for now... she had to stop this torture. "I'll leave you to your thoughts for now. I request your leave, I have to see the munitions we have left. After that last battle, the Archangel will not fall under my watch."

For a moment, Miyuki was thankful for the cold, calculating ways she had perfected as Morrigan Legna, she could set aside the pain she was feeling and get away from this, from her. She admits to herself it was her fault Murrue hates her, but she couldn't accept that.

"I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you," she adds, sharply. "But I'll still expect any cooperation on your part in future battles, even just a little."

_This hurts too much… It's not fair… It never has been…_

Miyuki turns to move away, swiftly, hoping Murrue wouldn't see her expressionless face break down, the ice melting into tears. She had manages three yards before She heard her call her name.

"Wait." Miyuki quickly wipes away her tears, turns halfway to face Murrue, giving her a sidelong glance over a shoulder, and "Is that it? You're just going to walk away from me?"

"Isn't that what you want…? Getting the source of your pain away from you? So you can focus on the tasks at hand?"

"I would want the source of my pain disappear, but... you're not that source."

There was a long pause at that point. Neither said anything for awhile.

"What am I to expect, Murrue?" Miyuki asks, "You said it yourself, you can't just accept me back as if nothing had happened. You're angry. You hate me for what I did to you. There's no hiding it."

"I know," she responds, her once strong voice now a bit more demure, a bit more forgiving. "Your eyes see everything..."

"Most of the time."

"Then, listen to me," Murrue says, she goes to Miyuki, a slow, careful approach, until she was close enough to her, face-to-face, that Miyuki could taste her breath. It made her shiver, but it was the glimmer in her friend's eyes that made her weak in the knees.

"If you leave me now, only then would I hate you. Only then will I truly be in pain. Please don't forsake me... your friend again."

Miyuki's stifle was quick, almost perfectly well hidden, but to her it stood out like a sore thumb. She nearly collapsed at that point, unable to say anything, and she shakes her head. She thought she could've cried, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead, all she could do was hold her, sliding her hands over Murrue's hips, pulling her into a warm embrace, much to Miyuki's relief, Murrue's arms around her and clutches her close, just as tightly. Both breathe heavily at that point, from frustration, fear and maybe even a little bit of relief. Both felt as if all was well in the world again.

"Please... please don't leave me," Murrue whimpers into her neck.

"Never," Miyuki responds, a bare whisper almost inaudible.

Two tormented souls cry together.

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**Archangel, Corridor outside Infirmary **

It's the next day, Antonio once again dons his sunglasses. The Spartan of Waves frowns when he nears the Infirmary. He hears something that sounded like sobbing, mixed in with shouting. He quickly figures out why.

_Flay…_

Mir was approaching from the opposite direction, and their gazes met. "What in the world is going on?" she asks quietly, confused.

Antonio sighs. "Flay probably got out of her coma..."

"But she was sleeping peacefully just a little bit ago..."

Antonio ignores her and goes straight in, "C'mon."

The door slides open, revealing a sobbing, almost incoherent Flay, holding Sai's arms.

They come in just in time for Flay, wild rage in her eyes, to vent all her anger on Kira who was stand beside the helplessly,

"Flay…" Kira began.

"Liar!" She yells towards the young pilot. "You promised that Daddy would be safe!" she began, Kira was shocked by the outburst, but Antonio felt the hurt even more, as one more life he failed to keep alive was added to a long list of people he has already failed. "Why didn't you protect my fathers ship?-!" she screams at Kira. "WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL THEM?-!"

"You didn't make any serious effort to fight them, did you? It's because you're a Coordinator too!"

Antonio hesitates for a moment, then yells, "Flay, That's enough!"

His voice grabs Flay's attention, she turns her head to him as he walks to her bedside.

"Antonio…" The anger in her eyes disappeared, replaced by grief as reaches out for him. Sai lets her go so as Antonio could hold her. "Daddy's… Daddy's gone…"

Antonio shushes gently, "Its okay Flay… Cry all you want… I'm here…"

_How ironic_, he sadly thought. _She's seeking comfort from the guy who was closest to the Montgomery and had the best chance of saving him, and yet she's blaming it all on a kid who hasn't fully mastered his own potential. God, this is my punishment, isn't it?_

Antonio looks at Kira, motioning his head to the door, telling the young coordinator to leave.

The teen nods, and does just that. Mir and Sai couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he slowly left.

_Kira…_

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**Archangel, Observation Deck **

Kira smacks his fist on to the glass that was between him, and the endless vacuum of space. The pain of what Flay said to him, was tearing him apart from the inside as he languish in despair, his cries of anguish lost into the void of space.

_Why did it have to end like this? Why can't anyone understand?_

"It's not fair," he whispers, calming down somewhat, as he hears something mechanical approaching him.

"Oh my, is something the matter, Mr. Yamato?" Lacus Clynes voice chimes, as she floats beside him.

He turns to see her right beside him. "Lacus…?"

"What are you doing here?" Kira asks the girl, "In a place like this?"

"I was going for a walk," Lacus explains, "or Haro was, anyway, and we happened to be headed in this direction when I heard shouting. I was concerned, so I thought perhaps I should see if anything was wrong."

Coming close, beside him at the view port, she raises a hand, as if to wipe the tears from his face.

He quickly backs away, and wipes away the tears he had. "You really shouldn't be here,"

Kira says, trying to cover his confused emotions. "You should go back to your quarters before someone sees you, this is an Earth Forces ship, after all."

That didn't disturb her in the slightest. Instead, Lacus examines the young man's face. Clearly, his emotions were in turmoil, she was curious to why.

"That fighting seems to be over," she comments, looking out into space

Kira nodded. "Yeah... and it's thanks to you, you know."

"So why... do you seem so sad?"

"Well, the truth is..." He hesitates. "The truth is, I'm getting tired of all these battles. "I... I never wanted anything to do with the war..."

Lacus looks at him intently. "Do you regret the part you've taken in this ship's survival?"

Kira blinks, surprised, then emphatically shook his head. "No, not really... It's because of all this fighting. I never chose to fight in this war, I am no soldier, and yet, I have been pulled into these recent events."

"If only this war never begun, because it seems to draw in the people who have wanted nothing to do with this war." Lacus tells him, as she notices Wynn, Antonio Le Saint Claire and Miyuki Kajiura walking toward them.

"And yet, conflict is alive in all our hearts, Natural and Coordinator, soldiers and civilians." Miyuki murmurs. "And it doesn't help me that a few of the pilots we're facing are actually friends of mine."

She smiles toward the pink haired girl, "Hello miss Lacus, it's been while."

Lacus bows her head, "Hello, Commander Kajiura, indeed it's have been a while since we've seen each other. How's commander Legna? She's well I hope?"

Miyuki nods, as Wynn discreetly Kira place a finger on her lips, Lacus didn't know the secret. Kira quickly nods.

"Yes, she would want to apologize for her actions earlier."

Lacus shakes her head, "She did what was needed, there's no need."

She young girl then turns to Antonio, "And hello to you Commander Le Saint Claire."

"Hello Ms. Clyne," Antonio nods graciously.

"You know her, too?" Kira asks.

Antonio nods sheepishly, "Yeah, I've been an Equatorial good-will ambassador to the Plants several times before the war. I got to know Lacus' father, he usually invited me to his home. That's how I got to know Lacus." He takes off his glasses, his eyes were finally starting to tolerate light, and he then runs his hand through his dark hair.

"Yuki and I heard what happened in the Infirmary," Wynn tells Kira with concern. "Kira are you alright?"

Kira sighs when hearing, "I'm… I'm alright…"

Antonio looks at Kira from the corner of his eye, "Flay's words got to you, didn't they?"

He nods. "Yeah... I... I should have... There must have been _something_ I could have done!" he burst out. "There must have been _some_ way to save Flay's father!"

"This happens all the time Kira," Miyuki points out. "As much as I don't want to say it, you can't save everyone in battle."

"You did everything you could, Kira," Wynn tries to comfort her friend. "You were engaging with Athrun! There' no way you could have made it even if you tried."

"And it's because of that Flay's father died!" Kira says in despair, "I… I made a promise to save him…!

Wynn and Miyuki stared in surprise, then sympathy.

"Kira…" Wynn murmurs

Miyuki, a little more composed, asks "When did you?"

"Before we went out to battle," Kira says, barely audible. "I didn't know what to say to her… I didn't want to hurt her…"

"Kira," Antonio looks away from space and turns toward to face Kira, "Maybe you could have done something, maybe you couldn't. But what has happened can never be changed." He then hesitates, then, he seems to come to a decision. "My suit was the closest to Montgomery and she still was destroyed, the only reason why Flay didn't lash out at me too is… is because she didn't know I was close I was to the ship."

Kira notes the slight strain in his voice.

"Her father was a close friend of mine, even though he was a member of Blue Cosmos, he was still my friend. Kira, I really, really wished that I've done better. But it's in the past. I just have to accept it," He takes a deep breath and exhales. "And do what I can do, and move on."

Kira looks away towards the deepness of space, "I'm not sure if I can do that…"

"You'll have to," Antonio replies. "Unless you want wallow in regret all your life, or worse lose your mind. I never said it'll be easy, but if you want to continue protecting this ship, your friends… and Flay."

He places a hand on Kira shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Even against your closest friend, you'll have to move on."

Kira looks at him, and nods reluctantly. "I understand, I try… no, do my best to let this go"

Antonio nods, "You'll be able do it, you made this far."

Wynn and Miyuki both watch as Antonio's old fatherly instincts went to work, both knew he a thing for children and young people. He could connect with their so well, understanding their feelings and emotions. This side of Antonio was a rare sight since he had lost his family ten years ago.

"Excuse me, what do you mean 'against your closest friend'?" Lacus asks.

Kira looks her than at Antonio who nods. "She won't tell anyone, don't worry"

"You see, I also have a friend out there." Kira explains to her.

"Who?" Lacus asks curiously.

"Athrun." Kira answers.

"Athrun?" Lacus repeats.

"Athrun Zala, he is the pilot of the machine called the Aegis. She's also Wynn's friend." he informs her.

"Is that so," Lacus commented on that, with somewhat a smile on her face. "The three of you are so good people." She tells him as her face went to sadness. "Which this war has made it into such a sad thing."

"Do you know Athrun?" Kira asks her, Lacus' face brightens once again.

"Athrun Zala. . ." She informs him, of her own secret, "Is the man I will eventually marry." She told him, getting a look of shock and confusion from the younger coordinators.

Wynn blinks, "Now, how do you like that… small world."

"You. . . You" Kira tries to get out of it, she just nods her head.

All Lacus did to answer him was nod her head, as her Haro jumps into her hands. "He made me this, Haro." she tells him with a smile. "When he found out I loved it so much, he kept on making more and more for me." Kira imagines Athrun creating many of the thing she held in her hand.

Antonio smirks and comments, "It's a good thing you loved them." _Most dames would be fed up if they got the same gift over and over._ He adds in his thoughts

"I see." Kira smiles a lit, as Wynn, Antonio and Miyuki kept silent, they sense there was a connection between the two. "Athrun hasn't really changed then." This earns him a look of confusion. "He made something for me as well, Birdie." he told her.

"Really?" she asks him. "Wouldn't it be great, if that none of us had to fight?" She wished as she held her Haro closer to herself.

"Yeah…" Kira murmurs, "I wish that too."

Wynn nods, "That'd be nice."

"I would like that…" Miyuki murmurs as she leans again the glass, looking out into space.

_I wouldn't mind that myself_, Antonio replies in his mind. He lets the two chat as he also looks out into the sea of stars.

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**A little later, Crew's quarters, Regina and Wynn's room**

Wynn slept in her bed, which was in the bunk above Regina's. She lay awake as he could hear bunkmate's breathing beneath her. "So, that secret is now out, and Mu's been acting different around me."

"Someone is trying to sleep down here." Regina reminds the girl above her.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud, with everything that has happened, I'm worried hot it's all gonna pan out."

"Ah, it'll work out somehow." Regina assures her. "Even though I've only know Yuki for a while, she's a good person. The ship's officers did agree to overlook this didn't they?"

"Yeah," Wynn nods as she gets off her bunk. "You're right, I'm probably just getting a little paranoid. You want anything from the cafeteria?"

"Sure, some water would be nice."

"Gotcha, and if you want we can talk some more when I get back." Wynn says her, as she left the room.

"Yeah, that would be nice, and gives us time to discuss what we are going to do if there's another battle." she comments to herself. _Last thing I want is a repeat of the last one_

**Archangel, Cafeteria Corridors **

Wynn floats down the halls, as she hears voices from the Cafeteria.

"What is it Kuzzey?" Sai, Mir and Tolle were discussing about what has been happening lately. They were assuring themselves that at least they had Kira and Wynn. That was when Kuzzey let's them in with the secret.

"One of those mobile suits that were stolen, The Aegis," Kuzzey began, as Wynn listens in on it all, and was surprise to hear the name of the mobile suit her friend was piloting. "It turns the pilot is an old friend of Kira and Wynn's."

Wynn smacks herself in the head. "I heard him, Wynn, Kajiura-sama and the Le Saint Claire guy talk about it with that coordinator girl."

Before anyone else could say anything, Wynn got back her composure and walks into the room.

"Hey guys." she greets them, walking over to the water dispenser as she grabs two water bottles and fills them up.

"Ahh, Janus?" Mir manages to say.

"Just call me Wynn, everyone else does." She fills up the first bottle.

"Alright, Wynn, I have a question to ask, do you know the pilot of the Aegis?" Mir asks the Wyvern pilot.

"Yeah, closer than some people know other people. But Kira and I aren't going to let anything happen to this ship." Wynn informs them, taking the bottles out of the room. "Especially with you guys onboard."

"You all don't have to hide it, I heard Kuzzey tell you who the Aegis pilot is." she tells them. She turns one last time. "Guys, just keep it between yourselves. No one needs to most especially the ship's officers."

Wynn frowns with concern, "After what happened in the infirmary, Kira's got enough to worry about."

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**Later still, Crew's quarters, Luke's room**

Luke works his laptop like the master hacker he was, with Antonio and Miyuki looking over his shoulder. The _Archangel_'s computer might have been better suited to the task, but they'd risk leaving traces of Luke's work where the crew might find it.

"You really sure the kid'll do it?" Luke looks at his commander with a sideward glance.

"I can bet my life on it." Antonio replies without much thought. "I saw it in his eyes, don't worry, he'll do it."

"One he gets an idea in his head," Miyuki comments. "He will do it, no matter how crazy it sounds."

"He should realize by now that we're getting to close to the PLANTs, close enough to return her there personally." She told him, "Because if he doesn't, the Atlantic Federation will milk her for all her worth."

"He does know that, doesn't he?" Luke asks.

"He should," Antonio answers. "Everyone in the ship's been talking about it."

Miyuki and Antonio were more than sure that Kira would soon make an attempt to return Lacus to ZAFT, and they and Luke had every intention of helping him. They all have seen the Earth Forces' dark side, and how they were willing to resort to it if necessary.

But in order for Kira to succeed, some obstacles had to be passed. _Archangel_'s security systems were formidable, and Kira, for all his computer programming skills, was no hacker. That meant Luke needs to take a hand... but very, very carefully.

Finally, after an hour, Luke closes down the computer, he nods to his superior, and they all quietly exit the cabin.

**Crew's quarters, Kira's Room **

Kira lay on his bunk in the dark, thinking. The revelations of his conversation with Lacus and Antonio -especially the news that Lacus was Athrun's fiancé- had made him think over what he should be doing. He knew he had to protect the Archangel, and his friends... but now he knew there was something else he should be doing, too.

_Kajiura did what she did because there was no alternative,_ he thought._ But if the Earth forces get her… she'll be a POW and they'll use her as a bargaining chip. I can't let them do that._

However, Kira didn't have the slightest idea what he could do about it. He'd need transportation, most probably the Strike, a major problem was how to get the hangar door to open…

A knock came at the hatch, Kira ignores it, not wanting to talk to anybody just then. Even when it repeated, he didn't react.

Then, to his surprise, the hatch beeps, accepting the authorized access code, and slid open. "Wha-?"

"Good evening, Kira-kun," Miyuki whispers.

She was accompanied by Antonio who closes the hatch behind them, "'Thought we'd find you here,"

"Kajiura-sama, Lt. Colonel, what are you doing here? In the middle of the night, of all times?"

The UN officer smiles, raising his eyebrow at him, "You intend get Ms. Clyne out of here, right?"

His young friend stares at him, astonished. "How'd you…"

"Kira, subtlety is definitely not one of your strong points," Miyuki replies, "You're not that hard to read."

Antonio gets straight to business. "Okay kiddo, you have the motive, we have the means. Luke can muddle the security cameras, release the hatch locks along the way, and override any security on the Strike. I doubt Luke have much problem with that."

Kira sat up. "You're serious about this?"

"Serious as a heart attack," He replies, "But listen, Kira, all we can do for now is override security."

"I can't afford to do anything else at that point," Miyuki explains, "I already have enough suspicion on me because of the last battle." "And Luke and I plan to keep our UNAAF jobs after this is over," Antonio adds sheepishly.

Kira raises his eyebrow, smiling a bit. "So you're asking me to do the dirty work?"

Antonio shrugs innocently, "You're one whose got nothing lose here."

Kira couldn't help but chuckle, he was beginning to like this guy.

"I understand." The coordinator nods eagerly, "When do we start?"

The Spartan of Waves opens the hatch again, Miyuki heads out first.

"ASAP, most of my men are in their bunks. It'll take time for them to respond." He then gives his young friend an evaluating look. "And kid, you are aware that they'll court martial you for this, right?"

Kira smiles, "You said it yourself, I've got nothing to lose."

Miyuki grins at the comment.

With a straight face, Antonio raises an eyebrow, "Touché, you are learning."

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**Corridor to the Hangar**

As they moved cautiously, Kira gives the old veteran pilot a questioning look. "By the way, you said you wouldn't be able to do anything before I launch, right? What about after?"

"After," Antonio explains, "I'll get the perfect excuse to launch, going after you. Then, I'll back you up and make sure ZAFT doesn't do anything funny. Besides, I want a crack at Rau Le Creuset."

"Hmm..." Kira could tell from the tone, he really meant that last part, his friend, George Allster, was probably in his mind.

They meet up with Luke by a bulkhead terminal, he had jacked his laptop into it.

"Do it," Miyuki orders.

"Here goes," Luke says with confidence, obviously knowing what he was doing. "I'm in."

The Puppet Master was good. As far as the crew was concerned, nothing happening, but within Archangel's mainframe, programs were altered, security measures disabled and the cameras fed with recorded footage. Kira was now relatively free to roam through the ship as he pleases.

Luke turns to Kira, giving a thumbs up. "Okay, kid, you've got half an hour. Make it count."

The young teen nods. "Thanks, Luke. I will."

"Good luck." Luke withdrew his computer from the terminal and he and the cousins move silently away from the scene.

After they departed, Kira continues on his way to Lacus' quarters. He wished he still had company for this, but understood that there were limits to what they could risk. Besides, he could handle this himself.

Kira sneaks into Ms. Clyne's room. "Haro, what's up, Haro!" the pink ball calls, Kira places a finger to his lips.

"Shh… Haro."

"Hmm, what is going on?" Lacus asked as she wiped her eyes, as she had just awoken from her slumber.

"That is something I'd like to know." Wynn's voice calls into the room, as she stood at the doorway, startling both Kira and Lacus.

"Mr. Yamato, Wynn, what's the matter?" she asks the two of the archangel's mobile suit pilots.

"Lacus, get dressed, you're going home." Wynn tells Lacus as Kira looks at her.

"Were you thinking the same thing?" Kira calmly asks his blonde haired pilot friend.

"'Le Sarge' got me into the plan," Wynn grins. "You didn't expect me to let you have all the fun did you?"

**Upon moments later, **

The four, counting Haro, of them run towards the hangar, Wynn was ahead checking the corridors, while Lacus, Kira and Haro trail close behind her, but far enough to stop when she signals them to. She stops, and as soon as Lacus and Kira caught up, she grabs Lacus by the arms, and shoves her behind a part of the interior of the ship.

"Kira? Wynn?" Sai calls out, as he and Mir both saw the two pilots leaning against the wall, using their bodies, to shield Lacus from sight.

"Every time, Haro!" the pink ball bounces as Lacus pokes her head out of hiding.

"Hello!" she said with her usual smile as both Mir and Sai stood, surprised.

"Just what are you two up to?" Sai asks the two pilots.

"What are you two going to do with her?" Mir asks, as Wynn looks away for a moment.

"Please, stop asking so many questions." Kira snaps at the both of them. "Please, I don't want to get you two involved."

Wynn shook her head, "Kira, that doesn't matter anymore, they seen us, so now they are involved."

"So, what are you two going to do now?" Wynn looks at her two younger friends.

"We'll help." Sai answers, rubbing the back of his head.

Wynn gives a nod, "Right, Thank you."

"Sai, Mir… thanks guys." Kira also nods, as they went for the hangar.

**Upon getting to the pilots ready room, **

Kira and Wynn quickly get into their normal suits, "Here put this on." Kira hands Lacus a space suit. As she began to change into the suit, Wynn done with hers, leaving the helmet in her arm.

"My, my…" Wynn comments mischievously, as Lacus changes in front of both of them, while Kira was trying to give her some privacy, looking the opposite direction. "What's the matter Kira?" She chuckles, "Shy? C'mon, don't be. You're old enough…"

"Oh, Shut up." Kira mumbles, cheeks were burning red. "Just tell her to hurry…"

A short time later, the three coordinators emerges from the room, two in normal suits, and one in a space suit, which seem to have a bulging stomach, which caught both Mir and Sai by surprise.

"Ah, how many months has it been now?" Sai asks, looking at the two pilots.

"I dunno, I've been gone from the Plants for seven." Wynn jokes, as she heads toward the hangar.

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**Hangar **

Antonio and Luke, were at their respective mobilesuits doing some late-night work, along with the rest the Bravo team except Wynn and Jethro. Everyone in the team knew the plan, Jethro was in the bridge, where he made sure that no one suspected anything.

They secretly watch as Wynn, Kira and Lacus enter from one of the upper hatches, accompanied by Sai and Mir.

_Here we go... _Mike thought as he slowly walks toward the Siginarugan's cockpit. _Don't screw this one up, kid. You've only got one chance._

Kira pushes himself over to the Strike, giving it a quick once-over. "All clear,"

Wynn, Sai and Mir guide Lacus over to the machine. "Good luck, Miss Lacus."

"Thank you," Lacus replies, entering the cockpit. "I hope we meet again someday."

"Maybe we will," Sai murmurs.

"Hopefully, after the war is over," Mir adds. "If we survive it, that is. Take care."

Sai glances at Kira, who was now powering up the Strike's systems. "Kira, you'll be back, right?"

Kira looked at him, surprised by the question. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll be coming back to the Archangel, right? To us?" Sai, having heard Kuzzey's report about Wynn and Kira's connection to the Aegis' pilot, was genuinely concerned. "You won't... be tempted to stay behind, or anything?"

"Of course not," Kira responds readily, unaware of the reason for his friend's concern. "You know I wouldn't do that. I'll be right back, don't worry." He hits a couple more switches. "Sorry, guys, but I've really got to get going now, while there's still time."

Mir nods. "Good luck, Kira. We'll be waiting for you."

Strike's hatch seals, and the machine got into motion... just as a lower hatch opens, admitting Kojiro Murdoch and a couple of his mechanics. "Huh? Hey, what's going on here? You're not supposed to be launching!"

Sai and Mir were making quick exits, while Wynn stuck his head out of her Wyvern's cockpit, acting surprised. "What the hell?-!" she tells the mechanic. "Looks like Kira's trying to get the Strike out."

"I'm not stupid," Murdoch retorts, not noticing that the UN pilot was wearing her full normal suit. "But what about you? Aren't you gonna do something about it?"

"Duh," Wynn pulls on her helmet. "I'll be launching to chase him as soon as I get clearance from the Bridge, what else?"

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**Archangel, Bridge **

Murrue had been relaxing in her chair, idly considering what to do next, until the alarms went off.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"It's the Strike, Ma'am," Natarle responds from CIC, while Chandra and Tonomura rapidly typed commands, trying to figure out what was happening. "He's launching!"

Mu's face appears on a monitor. "He's getting the girl out, Captain."

"It's too late to stop him now," Miyuki's face also appears, "Looks like he planned it pretty well."

"He's pretty smart," Mu comments.

"Too smart," Natarle mutters. "Do we have anything ready to go after him?"

"Ant's already down there, prepping the Chimera," the Hawk answers. "So is his team, apparently, they've was doing some routine maintenance when this came up."

"Convenient," Murrue said to herself. _Too convenient. _

"Well, we'd better send them out," she says aloud. "All right, give the Bravo team the order to launch and Lieutenant, Yuki, you'd better suit up and head out, too."

Mu salutes, "Aye, aye."

"Roger, sempai."

Their images disappear, and Jethro comments under her breath. "That kid's pretty slick isn't he, didn't he?"

Murrue nods slowly. "He is." She then smiles wearily. "But somehow, I think he had help…"

"Maybe..." Jethro replies innocently, getting back to his station.

Just then, Antonio's image appears, "Skipper, I want to use the auxiliary hangar hatch. I have an idea…"

**Vesalius' Bridge **

"Mobile suit detected launching from the legged ship!" The ECM officer announces. "Ship going to condition red."

Le Creuset and Ades were wondering if the legged ship was thinking on attacking.

"Commander, we are getting a transmission from Strike, voice only!" The communications officer calls.

That was when the ship was filled with Kira's voice. "_This is the GAT-X105 Strike, my mission is a peaceful one, I am bringing you Lacus Clyne."_ Kira informed the ZAFT ship. "_However, your ship is to cut its engines, and power down its weapon systems." _Kira began to tell them his conditions. "_Also, the Aegis and its pilot alone are to meet with me."_

"_If these conditions are not met, we can not guarantee Miss Clyne's safety." _Kira adds after some thought.

"Just what is the legged ship planning?" Ades wondered, as Rau floats behind the captain of the ship. And with that, Athrun's face appeared on the overhead monitor.

"_Commander, please let me go_." Athrun pleads, as he was worried for Lacus safety.

"Athrun, we don't even know if Lacus Clyne is actually aboard that machine." Ades told the kid, as Rau smirks.

"Athrun, permission granted." he told the young pilot.

"_Thank you commander._" Athrun told him, as the link was cut.

"Is this really a good idea?" Ades asked the blonde masked man.

"This can be a prime chance for us," Rau told the man, as he looked at the commander. "Cut the engines, and prepare my CGUE for launch."

Le Creuset left to get prepped for launch.

**Somewhere between the Archangel and Vesalius**

"This might actually work," Wynn mutters to herself, her Wyvern was the first to be launched after the Strike. "But, knowing Le Creuset's reputation, he might be plotting something."

Suddenly Kira calls through. "Looks like it's working, Wynn. How does it look on your end?"

"Uh Kira, I'm supposed to be chasing you, not in cahoots you, remember?" Wynn smiles, "I'm intending to keep my job like the rest of the team y'know."

"But yeah," She went on, "It does look good, Athrun will be on the level with us, I'm not so sure about his boss though."

"That's what you're here for, right?"

"Yeah," she replies, "But don't slack, even for a moment."

"Right."

Soon enough, the X303 Aegis approaches, its verniers reversing thrust to slow the machine to a stop in front of the Strike.

"Kira?" its pilot called. "Is that you?"

"Athrun." Strike's rifle came up, aimed directly at Aegis' hatch. "Open your cockpit!"

Athrun complies, showing both that he was alone and that he was willing to risk being killed. "Is she with you?"

In response, Kira opened his own cockpit, while Wynn trains an SC-20K assault rifle at Athrun.

Kira looked at Lacus, "Say something, Athrun can't see your face from here, he has to know that it's really you."

She nods in understanding. "Hello, Athrun!" she called. "I'm very glad to see you!"

"Confirming, it's Lacus," Athrun radios.

"Get ready to receive her." Kira gently pushed his passenger out of the cockpit, imparting enough momentum for her to reach the Aegis

Athrun caught Lacus, and turned to Kira. "Thanks, Kira," he called.

His old friend nodded. "Make sure she gets to ZAFT territory safely, Athrun."

"I will."

Lacus nods to Athrun, and looked back at Kira. "Thank you for everything you've done, Wynn, Mr. Yamato! And Athrun… you as well."

Athrun hesitates, looking back at the Strike. "Kira, Wynn!" he manages at last, "You come with us, too! There's no more reason for you two to remain with the Earth Forces!"

Kira's eyes went wide. "Athrun... I..."

Memories went through his head. _"You have the power to make a difference, why not use it?"_

"…There aren't that many people who can make the same claim."

"_You've got guts Kira, I've got your back on this one."_

"_I never said it'll be easy, but if you want to continue protecting this ship, your friends… and Flay. Even against your closest friend, you'll have to move on."_

_"You'll be coming back to the _Archangel,_ right? To us?"_

"_You made this far." Why stop now?_

He closes his eyes, "I'm sorry, Athrun, but... I can't. There are still people on the ship that I feel obligated to protect." He twitched the vernier controls, pushing the Strike back. "My friends are still there!"

Wynn lowers her weapon, "I'm sorry too, Athrun. I've got a lot of precious people in there too. And a as peacekeeper, I've got a job to do. I'll protect that ship until either I die or my mission is complete."

Athrun looks away, failing his personal mission. "Then I don't have a choice, Kira, Wynn…" he said softly. "The next time we meet in battle, I'll do my best to shoot you down!"

"Same here," Kira whispers. "To protect…"

"I don't expect anything less," was Wynn's response.

With that, the cockpits of the three mobilesuits close. The Strike and Wyvern 2 begin to return to their ship.

**It was the moment Rau Le Creuset had been waiting for. **

"Now, start up the engines, Ades!" Simultaneous with the order, he hit the control to launch his CGUE out of the catapult. He was followed by Miguel Aiman in his DEEP Arms cgue.

"Nazca class, Engines have started, CGUE detected." Pal called out.

"Launch the Zero!" Natarle ordered, Mu lowers his visor.

"I knew something like this would happen." he told himself, as the Moebius Zero launching into space.

Out of reflex, Wynn draws her beam rifle. "Kira, head back to the ship, I'll handle this."

Rau keys his radio as passes by the Aegis. "Athrun, return to the _Vesalius_ with Miss Clyne immediately!"

"Commander...?" Confused, Athrun obeys orders, puzzled or not, he didn't want to be anywhere near the coming confrontation.

Kira spots the Zero coming toward the Strike, "Lieutenant…"

"Did you really think they'd just sit back and watch?" Mu asks as he takes position beside the Strike. "Watch your back, there may be more of 'em."

"**Oh no you don't," **

Wynn guides her EUMS-Mk109 Wyvern toward Rau Le Creuset and Miguel Aiman, going between them and Kira.

"So, you've come to block my path, have you?" Le Creuset chuckles. "If that's you Aelia, let's see which of us is the better pilot."

Wynn snorts, "Compared to Miguel, Rau. This'll be easy." She stows away her rifle and shield, and pulls out the armor schneiders. "I can take both of you on!"

They clashed almost instantly, before breaking away. Wynn followed up by with a powerful tackle, which force s Le Creuset's unit to let go of its shield.

"Don't forget about me, Aelia!" Miguel comes down at her with his beam sword.

Wynn rolls her eyes, almost instantly drawing out her beam saber to parry and counter attack with a strong kick to the cockpit. "Aiman, I can't forget about you, even if I really want to."

Miguel goes at her again, this firing the twin cannon as he charges. The Wyvern sidesteps the beam attack, and goes in to clash with the beam sword. He clicks his tongue as Wynn's beam saber got closer.

"We'll be at this all day, Aelia," the masked pilot murmurs, swinging at the Wyvern's head. "Why don't you just surrender, so we can talk this over?"

"Fat chance, Le Creuset," Wynn replies, blocking the slash with her arm, "There's no way I'm backing down." She pushes off Aiman, and fires her missiles from the leg-pods, she then pulls out her beam rifle and fires, managing to hit the DEEP Arms' right canon.

"Pity. You were one of the best, Wynn." Le Creuset wasn't kidding, an attack from Wynn takes out the Cgue's left hand and the barrel of the shield-gatling, rendering it useless. He was starting to get nervous.

"Yeah, that's right, I'm still one of the best." Wynn's Wyvern lets loose with a flurry of knife attacks, relentlessly hammering Le Creuset's sword. The white CGUE's blade was eventually wrenched from its remaining hand, sending it spiraling off into space, and the commander knew he was in trouble. But he still hand one weapon left. He reached back for his machine gun, only to find a beam blade cut right through it.

"You're mine Rau!" Antonio in the GAT-X013 Chimera suddenly appears, as he deactivates Mirage Colloid He raises the beam saber to strike.

"Commander!" Miguel manages to break off with Wynn and assist, he aims his remaining working canon on the Chimera. "Take this!" He fires, forcing Antonio to back away.

But before he could get another shot, Michael's GAT-X014 Siginarugan appears in front of him.

"Stay out of this!" Michael cuts both arms and the last cannon with a couple of slashes, he then kicks the unit back. Aiman yells at the impact.

After keeping silent for the first moments, Lacus Clyne had enough. Reaching past a startled Athrun, she keys the Aegis' radio.

"Lacus what are you-"

"Lt. Col. Le Saint!" She calls with not her usual cheerful tone, but with serious one, "Cease your actions, immediately! This is highly inappropriate to a highly respected soldier such as yourself!"

The Chimera stops, turning to the direction of the Aegis, but before Antonio can say anything Lacus continues.

"I know Commander Le Creuset has done transgressions against you," she says, "Someone important to you must had died in the battle earlier must have been close for to be acting this way. But is that an excuse for you to break your own principles and strike down an unarmed foe?"

Antonio blinks, that's when he realized it, Rau's unit was indeed unarmed.

Lacus' voice then goes back to its gentler tone, "Now is a time for mourning. Honor that friend's memory and stop this."

Antonio thought a moment. _She's right. What the hell am I doing, why should I stoop down to his level?_

"Avenging a friend's honor must be done with a clear mind from of dark emotion and hate," He murmurs, echoing an advice a friend had given him ten years ago. The Chimera's beam saber phases out, "I understand. Thank you, Ms. Lacus. Chimera standing down."

Michael reluctantly follows his lead, he followed the same principles as his friend, the Sidapa's beam blades disappear. "Siginarugan… Standing down."

Relieved Lacus readjusts the radio, "Commander Rau Le Creuset!" she then said sharply. "Are you really intending to turn this place into a battlefield, right in front of a memorial representative such as myself?"

"Miss Clyne," Le Creuset began, "This may not be the best-"

"Commander," she said forcefully, "I am ordering you to break off this attack at once. Do you understand?"

The masked man cursed to himself.

"Very well, Miss Clyne," he said, "We're breaking off."

"We'll finish this another day, Wynn!" Miguel calls, and reversed course, back toward his own ship.

"I've hear that a lot, Miguel," Wynn murmurs.

"You're gonna to get yours Rau!" Michael growls as the cgue backs off. "Start watching your back more often! We're gonna get you!"

Ant keys his radio, "Rau, the next time we meet, I'm going to beat you here in space, in your own turf. I promise you, you're going to regret the last battle before this war is over, I'll make sure of that!"

"I'll be looking forward for that, Spartans."

Mu and Kira stared at the suddenly retreating enemy forces, unaware of what had just occurred.

"Not sure what just happened, but... we're retreating, too," La Flaga manages to say, leading the Strike.

"You guys go on ahead," Antonio radio to them. "We'll stay out here and make sure the ZAFT force withdraws.

"Roger that Sarge."

Mu notes that Kira was unusually silent. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No," the Coordinator replies through unshed tears. "There's nothing wrong at all."

Strike and Zero move through space back to the Archangel, whilst the UNAAF mobilesuits remain on watch.

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**A/N:** Well, Lacus has temporarily left the building, two more battles and we'll be off to Africa. I'm really looking forward to those battles. That very angsty part with Murrue and Miyuki was really a pain to do, it was the hardest part of this fic.

Y'know, I'm really proud of how Miyuki has turned out to be, along with the rest of my mainstay OCs. I'd like to know what you think of the characters when you post a review. Gives me some suggestions on them and maybe I'll try applying them.

Well later dayz people. And please R & R.


	18. Phase14: Ten paces to freedom

**A/N** Time for the homestretch run to the Eighth fleet and Kira's SEED awakening, hope y'all like it.

**Phase 14: Ten paces to Freedom**

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**Archangel, Crew's Quarters, Antonio's room**

UNAAF Officer, Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire relaxes in the chair in front of his desk, the first real attempt since before the encounter with Eighth Fleet's Advance force.

_We actually pulled it off,_ he thought.

The return of Lacus Clyne to ZAFT hands had been a smooth operation, there were virtually no hitches to the operation. Kira was immediately shuffled off to the Captain's office for a court martial, but Antonio knew the Earth Forces regulations fairly well, he had broken a few during his tour the Atlantic Federation Army. Kira Yamato was guilty of only a few minor infractions, Natarle Badgiruel was guilty of much worse. Odds were, he'd get off with a warning; at worst, a slap on the wrist. Antonio didn't doubt that the captain and the other officers suspected Kira had help, but with no evidence to it up, all they got was speculation and nothing else.

The pilot drew his revolver from its holster, reaching for his duffel bag and brings out some tools and a wipe cloth. He began dismantling the weapon to clean it.

The compartment's hatch suddenly opens, and Antonio looks over his shoulder.

"Thought I might find you here, Sarge," the visitor said.

"Hey there Mu," He gets back to his work. "What is it?"

"You seem pretty okay with Kira taking Lacus Clyne to that ZAFT ship," Mu observes. "Forcing you to chase him, and then fight Le Creuset."

Antonio shrugs, "True."

"It doesn't bother you that what he did could be considered giving aid and comfort to the enemy?"

"No. I'm a peacekeeper for starters"

Mu shook his head. "You just totally don't give a damn to the whole thing, don't you?"

"Yup."

"That little outing was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Maybe, Maybe not…"

"Yeah," Mu snorts, "Figured you'd say like that…"

He looks over Antonio shoulder, "Y'know, I always wanted one of those things when I was a kid."

Antonio grins, "Along with a ten gallon hat?"

Mu chuckles, "Yeah… that's a Colt .45 peacemaker right?"

"No, not quite," the Equatorial replies. "It's a custom Smith and Wesson swing-out .45." He gets his had into the duffel, "This is the beauty you're talking about."

The older man did so, Mu felt his own eyebrows go up. He pulls out another gun, it had a very defined curve on its handle and had a longer barrel, anyone who watched westerns would instantly recognize it. "Ah man…"

Antonio smiles at the reaction, he twirls the gun and quick fires it, pulling the trigger as fast as his other hand can slap the hammer. Mu hears is a rapid series of solid clicks. Antonio then hands it to him, "'wanna hold it?"

"You bet…" Mu held the gun with reverence, examining at all sides. As he aims it and pulls the hammer then the trigger, he finds it was a rigid weapon. "Dang… You must have the grip strength of a vice…"

"Takes a little getting used to," he replies.

"I bet," Mu tries to open the chamber, he tries to push it out but to no avail.

"No," Antonio reaches out and opens a loading gate. "This is where you load it."

Mu frowns, "You have to put in one bullet at a time?"

He nods, "This model gun was manufactured in a time before the swing-out cylinder was introduced. Yeah, it's a slow loader, but it's a much more solid frame, it can take more pressure compared to top-break and swing-out revolvers. This thing can even use .44 Magnum rounds."

Mu whistles, more than aware what a magnum can do. ".44? It thought this thing's a .45?"

"Bullets expand when fired, .01 caliber doesn't make much of a difference."

"So," Antonio said, getting back to the other gun. "How did Kira's court-martial go? I heard Natarle was prosecution and you were defense."

Mu places the gun on one side of the table. "Well, Ensign Badgiruel's case was full of holes to start with. The regulation she was citing didn't in any way apply to the stunt pulled with Miss Clyne, a clear violation of the Ceres Accords. Still, it helped that the Pink Princess wasn't actually a POW in the first place, so it was down to the matter of Kira's unauthorized launch in the Strike. This," he adds, "is a proven fact. So, naturally, we..."

"Let him off with a warning." Antonio nods, "No surprise."

"Yeah. I'm sure." Mu jerked his head at the hatch. "C'mon, let's get something to eat, Ant. I'm guessin' you had quite the night, you must be hungry. You can do that later, anyway."

"Now that you mention it, Mu," Antonio replies, standing. "I'm starved."

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**Meanwhile, on the Gamow**

"Well, well. Glad you could join us, Sword."

Rusty ignores the sarcastic remark as he entered the Bridge. Miguel had been constantly on his case ever since it was found that Morrigan Legna was on the legged-ship, piloting the White Phantom.

He, Miguel and all three of the Gamow's G-pilots were present, for a meeting called by Yzak.

"So how about you tell us all what's going on, Joule," Rusty said coolly. "I guess there's a point besides Miguel telling me I'm late?"

Yzak smirks, "Right. See, we've got the trail of the legged-ship again. And with Miss Lacus Clyne no longer a factor, we can take it out at our leisure."

The former Sword folds his arms. "Something tells me, Yzak, that you'd be happy to attack the ship even with Miss Clyne aboard. In which case, I'll have killed you."

Dearka Elsman smirks at the remark, "Well, she isn't on board, so we can concentrate on the matter at hand."

"Right," Yzak agreed. "That ship's been giving us trouble from Day One, so I say it's time to take it out... permanently. We'll have caught up with it within the hour, so now's our chance."

"There's one problem," Nicol Amalfi points out. "They've nearly reached the rendezvous point with their Eighth Fleet. As it is, we'll have only ten minutes before we have to break off. After all, even our new machines can't handle an entire fleet without full support, all we really have is the Lee and Ursa, and most of the mobilesuits on the Ursa Major are experimental units."

"I would suggest that the cowards keep their traps shut," Yzak said contemptuously.

"Yeah," Dearka agreed. "I say we have ten whole minutes."

"Right. Is it only ten minutes, or is it a full ten minutes? It's all in how you look at it, really."

"Lay off Yzak," Rusty said quietly. "He's got a point. The Eighth Fleet will eat us for breakfast if we get too close."

Miguel snorts. "And here I thought you were supposed to be a big, bad Sword, the ones who could accomplish any mission, anywhere."

"I didn't get into Ame-no-Murakumo ignoring the risks, Aiman." He cracks his knuckles. "You don't survive by ignoring the odds this way. And do I have to remind you, Yzak has fought the Strike to a standstill in every battle we've fought with it? And from Zala's reports, he's gotten a whole lot better since. And you're no different with Wynn, Aiman. Even in the first minute in the last battle, she could've blown your new Cgue's arms off."

"That's because we're still getting the hang of these machines ourselves," Dearka points out. "Now that we gotten the hang of them, with all of us together, we can beat them."

"Aren't you forgetting one little detail?" Rusty taps the computer display. "Your plans are based upon scenarios where only the Strike, the Hawk of Endymion's Moebius Zero, the White Phantom and Wynn's Wyvern are involved. You are neglecting the fact that the legged ship also has also the rest of UNAAF Special Taskforce Bravo. They are a force to be reckoned with."

"I know," Yzak nods. "That's why we need your Sword buddies and the other pilots in the Lee and Ursa Major, we'll have them all focus on the side opposite to us. They'll break have to focus on the bigger threat, which is obviously going to be them. We'll hang back a bit, then, we'll go in."

"We can't afford to pass up this opportunity," Joule points out. "And in the absence of both Commander Le Creuset and our senior pilot, I make the decision. And I say: go."

"Very well, then," Nicol said, still uneasy.

"Fine," Rusty said simply, heading for the hatch. "I'll go tell the guys."

_Hooboy… Here we go again Commander, Wynn…_

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**Vesalius, on route to the Plants**

Athrun Zala raises a hand just in time to catch the pink ball that was headed directly for his face.

It was, of course, Haro. Which meant that a certain someone was wandering the corridors, yet gain.

"Lacus?" he calls.

Lacus came drifting around the bend in the passageway. "Oh, I'm sorry, Athrun. Haro was wandering around again, wasn't he?"

Handing the eccentric robot back to its owner, Athrun stifled a sigh. "Lacus, I'm more concerned about you wandering around. This is a warship after all, it's not exactly safe to be wandering all over the place. And I'm sure you need some rest," he adds, guiding her back to the quarters set aside for her. "I'm sure it was hard for you, being on that Earth Forces ship. The way they must have treated you..."

Lacus shook her head. "It wasn't like that at all, Athrun. Mr. Yamato in particular was very kind, and of course Wynn looked out for me."

"They're both fools, along with Commander Legna." he said angrily. Lacus had not mentioned of Miyuki Kajiura also being in the Archangel.

"They're just being used, but they justify it, something about-" He broke off. "Wait a second. What do you mean 'of course' she looked after you? You know Wynn?"

"Of course I do!" She smiled in fond memory. "Winnie and I have been close ever since we were middle school, I was very happy to see her it's been almost a year since we last met."

Athrun gapes. "You do know she hates being called that, it's almost a death sentence for me and Kira when we use that name. I'm scared to say it even if she's not around."

Lacus smiles oddly. "Oh, she's used to it from me." She shrugs, her expression then turns serious. "I have known Wynn for many years, Athrun, and I don't believe she is being to be manipulated, she is far too strong-willed for that. And I also think she, and her current commander, Mr. Le Saint Claire would notice if Mr. Yamato were being 'used'. No, Athrun, Wynn has her own reasons for her actions, whatever they may be, they certainly are not reasons pressed upon her by others."

"But, Lacus-" he began.

"Athrun," she interrupts, "You should know that she nearly killed people for my sake, during that last battle." Her usual apparent naiveté was absent. "As for Commander Legna... there are dark places is her heart now. I would suggest that you consider what could make her leave our forces."

"Lacus, I don't understand..."

"Please, Athrun. Just think about it."

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**Inside Ursa Major, Hangar**

The morale among the crew was low, most especially among the Swords. The thought of actually fighting Morrigan Legna and Janus Llewelyn Aelia, fellow Swords, was depressing. It only got worse when they found out Yzak Joule intentions.

Shiho was busy working on her unit, the first prototype DEEP Arms CGUE, however she wasn't herself, she very irritable and kept yelling the maintenance assisting her. From Marvin, Visch and Chris looked over her from a distance, obviously concerned.

"She'll been like since that last battle…" Chris murmurs to Visch who was frowning, obviously not liking the situation.

"I hate to say it boss," Marvin mutters, shaking his head. "I think we lost her."

Visch doesn't answer, instead he walks toward her.

"H-hey Visch! I don't think-" Chris was going to stop him but Marvin grabs hold of her arm. "Marv, what are you."

"Visch was pretty close to Shiho too," The brunette haired swords replies. "He got to do this, before we end up with another Ides of March."

Chris frowns at him, "Shiho would never-!"

"That's exactly what I thought with Commander Kajiura before the Ides of March," Marvin says sharply, silencing and surprising Chris. He sighs, "We've got do whatever it takes, there's a lot in stake here."

Chris looks at him for a moment, she reluctantly nods.

**Shiho sees the one-eyed pilot walk toward her**

"Hello, Commander Donahue." She says simply, as she continued working on a panel, not even bothering to salute which she was supposed to do with a superior officer. "What do you want sir?"

Visch frowns,"Its behaviour Miss Hahnenfuss," he says professionally. "The way you've treating my men recently has caught my attention… As long as you're in the ship, I would like you to adjust yourself accordingly."

Shiho turn to him, half-heartedly standing attention and saluting. "I understand commander, it won't happen again."

Both stand still, staring at each other in the eye, waiting for the other make a move. Visch held firm, keeping a stone-faced expression. Shiho, whose patience was also affected, breaks the silence.

"Why don't you just cut to the chase?" She asks bluntly, "And my answer is no. I don't want any part of this."

Visch's eye narrows, "I see."

The young pilot looks away, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this."

The commander crosses his arms, "You really sure that's your decision?"

"Yes," Shiho looks at him with a cold glare. "Don't even bother trying to change my mind."

She then abruptly walks away, "This conversion is over."

"Hahnenfuss," Visch calls sharply. "I'm not done with you."

Shiho ignores him, continuing to the hangar exit.

"Hahnenfuss!" He goes after her, "Get back here!"

He continues to follow her to her temporary quarters. This is when Visch loses his temper, "Shiho! Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Shiho turns around swiftly giving the man an angry scowl, "I already gave you my answer sir, and the answer is no! Now leave me alone!"

"Can you honestly just let the situation run its course?" Visch asks incredulously. "People's lives are what's in stake here!"

"It doesn't concern me," Shiho replies indifferently. "So what?-! It's no different to what the Naturals did to Junius Seven!"

"How can you say that?-!" Visch yells, enraged. "How can do this to her?-!"

"The Naturals did it to us first!" She screams back at him, loses whatever self-control had left. "She did it to ME first! She abandoned us! She abandoned ME! For a bunch of fucking Naturals!"

"Do you honestly believe that?-!" Visch's voice booms.

"Stop this before I charge you with harassment!" Shiho yells back.

"Like I care about that! All I care about right now is you! She cares about you too! She did it to protect us!"

"I don't give a damn! She can rot in hell for all I care! I don't need her! I need you–!"

Visch never thought he'd ever slap Shiho for any reason, but he wanted to stop this. The hall was suddenly silent, the sound heard was their breathing, unsure how the next few moments will unfold.

"Do you think she's enjoying this?" Visch said in a subdued voice, looking away. "She's killing herself inside and outside just for this, for the sake of everyone she's ever cared about, for the sake of the people in the Plants and the earth, for her family and friends, most especially us. Why can't see that?"

He looks at her with a tired face, "She can't do this alone. She'll need all our support. Shiho, she needs you."

Shiho look away, her face finally showing her true emotions, that of confusion… and fear.

"Visch…" She says in a small voice, "I want to help her… but… I…"

"I… I… I…" Shiho struggled to get the words out of her mouth, the pain inside had beaten her, she gives in to it, her knees give way.

Visch quickly gets his arm around her to support her, holding her firm.

"I not sure if I can believe her anymore…" Shiho rests her head on Visch's chest, as the tears finally came through.

"Visch kept silent for while, until… "I'll wait for your answer, the real one. And remember, you're not alone."

"Thank you…"

After that, neither said a word. Neither needed to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back in the Archangel, inside the bridge**

Murrue, Natarle and the rest of the bridge were watching out into the endless void known as space, as Natarle moves closer to her commander. "It will be another half an hour till we get to the rendezvous point." Natarle informs the captain.

"It's still amazing that we even got this far." Murrue sighs, knowing they were getting ever so close to her old friend and mentor.

Steven Halberton, captain of the Drake-class Basilisk whose image was onscreen smiles. "Excited to see my dad?"

Murrue smiles giving him a nod, "Of course, it'll be nice to him again."

"I can bet anything he'll be glad see you more than me," Steve chuckles.

"Operators, stay on full alert!" Natarle orders, "The fleet is highly visible, and can be a large visual to the enemy ships."

"Yes ma'am!" The crewmen all answered.

**Inside the Cafeteria**

"So… just a couple more hours, and this little stint is over," Michael says as he and Regina were eating together, along with Miriallia, Tolle, Kuzzey and Sai. "It's been one helluva month."

Regina nods as she forks he food, "And we'll be back to help developing weapons systems."

Mike nods, "To tell you the truth, I was starting to miss that stuff."

She gives him a funny look, "You're actually missing menial labor? Uh, oh, age must finally be catching up to the Spartan of Hell."

He raises an eyebrow, "Very funny."

The two laugh, Mir smiles at them. "Your jobs must really be tough on you two," she comments.

Mike turns to her and nods, "Yeah… it can be boring too sometimes like relief escort and border patrol."

"And sometimes," Regina continues, "We get sent to operation overnight to who knows where, it can in South Africa, the Middle East, Balkans… anywhere. We have two on our toes twenty-four-seven. Sometimes we hardly have time for sleep, especially with current war going on."

Mir frowns hearing this, "Even time for each other?"

The question surprised both the Major and the Captain, they look at each other, then back at her.

The young CIC operator blushes, "Sorry, I guess that was a stupid question…"

Mike shook his head, "No, it's okay." He smiles, "Thanks for asking."

"Well…" Regina says, "It was tough when we first started, but yeah… you just have to find the time for it."

"There was a point we almost agreed it'll never work between us," Mike mentions. "But we kept giving it another shot."

Regina giggles, "I guess he really wanted me that bad."

Michael gives her puckered brow, "What? You don't?"

She smiles at him roguishly, "Joke! Of course I did! You should I be hanging out with you then?-!"

This time, even Mir and the others laugh.

**Not everyone was as cheerful**

Kira walked toward the _Archangel_'s cafeteria, feelings mixed. He was still under the effects of Flay's accusations, after her father's death, and now he had Athrun's promise that the next time they met, there would be no mercy... on either side.

On the other hand, he -with the help of the others- successfully returned Lacus Clyne to those who wouldn't attempt to use her as a hostage. That went a long way toward making him feel better, if not quite far enough.

_But I -we- did it,_ he told himself._ We got Lacus to Athrun, and nobody was even hurt._

The cafeteria hatch slid aside as he touched the controls, and he stepped in, to find his classmates.

**Fighting Athrun was not on Wynn's mind as she headed for the Archangel's cafeteria**

She was enjoying a private little victory.

_We did it, Kira,_ the UN soldier thought with satisfaction._ We got Lacus out, and we didn't even get punished for it. _She'd heard Kira was merely given a warning.

Sai raises an eyebrow when Wynn entered. "You're looking better than I've seen you lately."

The young pilot ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Just pleased with myself, Sai, that's all. Even I can't be depressed after kicking two jerks around in space."

"I'm just glad I'm leaving once we reach Earth," Kira said, as she walks toward them.

Wynn nods, "I don't blame you one bit."

And that was when Flay Allster came in. In that instant, Janus Aelia melts into the background, a trick she'd picked up from Luke and Daniel. Wynn wasn't sure Flay would be in her right mind just now, but at this point, everything seemed normal.

"Flay!" Sai began, standing and walking over to her.

Flay ignored him, heading straight for the pair of Coordinators. "Um, Kira...?"

"Flay?" Kira replies, more than a little confused.

"I want to apologize," she said abruptly. "To both of you. I know I never said anything to _you,_ Wynn, but I did threaten your friend..."

Wynn eyes her for moment, "Forget it. With what happened, can't really say that I blame you."

"Thank you. But still... The things that I said..." Flay hung her head. "Kira, I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know you were doing your best out there, that there was nothing more that you could have done... and you _did_ protect the _Archangel_, just like you always do. So I just want you to know... I'm behind you both, all the way. I'll support you."

Wynn nods slowly. But her experience with grieving families in war zones told her something wasn't quite right.

Kira also nods, but glanced away. "Flay, I'm sorry I couldn't save your father..."

Something flickered in her eyes, unnoticed, but then she smiled. "You did what you could, Kira. I just wish this war would end as quickly as possible."

He finally looked up, and smiled back. "I agree."

Wynn frowns as the scene went on. _Something's wrong here…_ _This is going through a little too easy._

Then the alarms went off.

**Up in the bridge**

"What's going on?" Ramius demanded.

"Radar interference," Pal responds. "N-jammer levels increasing, searching... one _Laurasia_-class and two Nazca-classes detected, closing fast."

Badgiruel cursed, "And just moments before our rendezvous!" She shook herself. "Captain?"

The captain nods, and hit an intercom switch. "All hands to Level One Battle stations! Pilots, to your machines!" She paused, looking down into CIC. "Mr. Tonomura, how long till rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet?"

"A little over ten minutes, Captain," Tonomura replied, consulting his displays.

"All right. Tell Lieutenant La Flaga, Kajiura, Kira and the Bravo team to launch as soon as possible," she ordered. "We only need to hold them off for ten minutes; we can do it." _We've come this far, they won't fail now..._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Down in the Hangar**

"Here we go again…" Wynn grumbles as she climbs up her mobilesuit.

_This should be the last battle with the Le Creuset team, ten minutes from now, it's all over._ _That means see you later Yzak, Dearka, Rusty, Athrun, and Nicol. And good-riddens Miguel and Le Creuset._

Guiding Wyvern 2 to the catapult, he noticed Kira reaching the Strike. "There you are, I was beginning to think you were going to stop early."

"Sorry," Kira responds.

"Well, no harm done. They haven't reached us yet." Wynn then smirks, "Don't tell me you were about to score with the girl…"

"I did not!" Her friend retorts.

"Hey, it's a joke." She laughs, "Don't get touchy."

"Kira," She suddenly turns serious, "You ready?"

"Yeah, Wynn." He replies, "Let's do this together one last time."

The Strike went first, into the starboard catapult. "Connected to catapult," Kira heard from the Bridge. "Aile Striker, stand by," Mir continued. "Good luck, Kira."

"I'll be fine," he said, surprised to realize he actually meant it.

"You're cleared for launch. Ready when you are, Strike."

His fingers tightened on the controls. "Kira here, Strike Gundam, launching!"

Wynn launches from the port catapult without nearly as much fuss. Their places were quickly taken by the Strike Ginn and the Zero.

"Strike Ginn connected to catapult." Mir calls, "Stand by."

"Copy," Miyuki paused when Murrue's image appears.

"Yuki," she calls with a familiar face of concern. "Stay alive."

She nods, smiling back, "You know I will."

Her friend nods, then her image disappears, the veteran pilot gets to business.

"Hey, Kajiura," Murdoch calls. "You want anything extra this time?"

"Give me the spare Sidapa beam scythe," Miyuki replies. "It's about time Morrigan Legna fights how she should fight."

"Roger that."

The Siginarugan's beam scythe unit was lowered onto the Strike Ginn's back, and Mir's voice came back on. "You're good for launch, Strike Ginn. Be careful."

"Roger," _I've chosen this course, I'm not backing down now._ "This is Miyuki Kajiura, Strike Ginn, engage!"

**Antonio Le Saint Claire jabs a key on his radio. **

"Mike, you and Dante are with me."

"I'm ready, LC," Regina answers.

"Everything checks out," Mike follows. "Bridge?"

"All right, then," Ramius replied. "Launch when ready."

The three mobile suits made their way into the catapults. "Sir," Mir called, "The ZAFT forces are a Laurasia-class and two Nazca-classes, mobile forces compose of modified cgues, ginns with different variants. We also found the Duel, Buster and Blitz."

"Those three," Regina murmurs. "It's been a while…"

Mike cracks his neck, preparing himself for battle. "Well, we better give 'em a fair well present."

"Yeah…" Regina moves forward into the port catapult. "Regina Dante, Wyvern 1, launching!"

Mike takes the starboard, "Michael Takahashi, Siginarugan, movin' out!"

The Chimera replaces the Siginarugan in the starboard catapult. Antonio presses his radio one more time, "Spear, Rochefort, head over to cover the Basilisk. Lawman, Snow, Archangel is yours."

"Roger," The four pilots acknowledge.

The Spartan of Waves then lines his suit on the catapult, "Antonio Le Saint Claire…" _Losing one friend is enough._

"…The Spartan of Waves, Chimera, going!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Outside in space**

"Lt. Colonel," Mir calls. "The ZAFT force seems to be using a pincer movement."

Antonio frowns, wary that the person in charge is Yzak Joule since the Aegis wasn't detected, he still remembered that the young pilot very nearly beaten him in Artemis. "Is there a larger arm?"

"Yes, to our starboard side," CIC replies. "That group is composed of the ginns and modified Cgues."

_Swords…_ He thought, remembering the Intel Miyuki had given him earlier, he didn't want Wynn or Yuki make contact with them if necessary. "And the other?"

"It's made up of the just the Duel, Buster, Blitz and two Ginns."

Antonio frowns hearing this, "Joule, what the hell are you thinking?"

After a couple seconds thought, he makes up his mind. "Basilisk, Mike, Regina move to the AA's starboard. Mu, Kira, Wynn, Yuki take port!"

Everyone follows his orders and soon enough, they were in formation. Antonio takes position on the direct front of the Archangel.

"Okay people!" Antonio calls to every pilot, "All have to do is hold the line for ten minutes. We've gone through way too much to go down now. Hold the line, and not one step backwards!"

"Yes sir!"

**On the opposite side of the battle, the pilots were just as determined**

Five Cgue DEEP Arms units supported by several Ginns and Ginn HM steadily made their way toward the opposition. The pilots of the DEEP Arms were, Visch Donahue, Marvin Hayes, Leona Gransiere, Christine Marie Lightfellow and Shiho Hahnenfuss. All of them were former Swords, this was the first time they fought together since the Battle of Jachin Due.

None of them spoke, all of them were focused in their task at hand. Whether, they like it or not, they have a job to do.

Shiho tightens her grip on the throttles, _Miyuki just give one reason… just give me one reason to believe you again…_

Michael was the first to spot them, he activates the Sidapa. "Here they come."

Regina attaches a saber to her beam rifle, then activates it. "And here we go."

Antonio moves to that side, arming the Sol Striker's weapons.

"Prepare all missile launchers and torpedo tubes," Steven Halberton in the Basilisk orders. "You heard the LC, ten minutes, we hold out that long and we're home free."

The ZAFT force closes in, the DEEP Arms units all activate their beam swords and charge in, the ginns cover them with their machineguns and missiles.

The Chimera, Siginarugan and Wyvern 1 charge. The Basilisk, Amon's Ginn and Daniel's Headhunter gave cover fire. Visch and Marvin quickly engage with the Antonio, Shiho and Chris went after Michael, while Leona butted heads with Regina. The battle had begun.

**Michael launches a flurry of swift slashes against his enemy,**

Shiho skillfully parries them, countering with a few of her own. Chris sneaks from behind, aims her cannons and fires at the Siginarugan. Michael has the left RHEA wing take the hit, he counters by firing the Igelstellungs and auto cannons.

Shiho felt the pilot was a formidable one, but her mind wasn't focused on him, she had the need to find Miyuki.

Almost as though she had read her mind, Chris calls to her. "I don't see her here, get around the other side of the Legged-ship, she's probably there."

Shiho stares at Chris unit as it suddenly attacks the Siginarugan more aggressively, "But Chris, this guy's too much for just-"

"I care take care of myself!" Chris snaps, "Now get your butt moving and find her!"

The brown pilot stared for a moment, then nods. "Thanks, Chris."

"Welcome," She grunts as she brings down her sword on the Siginarugan. Michael parries the move easily, he quickly notices the one of the units moving away, seemingly around them.

"Ah, ah, ah," Michael pushes Chris' unit off and gives chase. "No you don't."

Chris once again aims the cannons at her opponent, "Your enemy is me!"

"Damn!" Michael curses as he quickly reverts the RHEA into armor mode in time. "So, you wanna piece of me eh?"

He twirls the Sidapa as the DEEP Arms charges at him. Michael and Chris clash blades again and again in a furious stalemate. Neither of them could get the upper hand... but they were both accomplishing their objective, keep each other busy.

Chris twirled her blade, brought it around, and sliced upward in a diagonal cut, trying to open the Siginarugan from left hip to right shoulder.

Michael wasn't about to allow that. He splits the Sidapa into two kamas and uses one to parry the DEEP Arms' blade, with the other kama, he traps the DEEP Arms' weapon, forcing it even further away.

Chris curses. She decides to release her grip on the weapon, allowing it to drift away into space, and made use of the instant in which Siginarugan's weapons were still occupied. "Take this!"

DEEP Arms' fist came up, catching Siginarugan in the chin and forcing it back. That gave the ZAFT pilot time to reach for her beam sword.

Michael brings both of his weapons up to a guard position, he smiles, nodding toward his opponent. _Not bad… Show me what else you got._

**Regina launches her missiles from her left shoulder pod,**

As she went at her opponent, Leona Gransiere blocks the attack with her 20.75 meter anti-ship sword Grand Sting. She then pulls out her DEEP Arm's standard beam sword, and begins attacking with both weapons.

Regina curses as she uses her shield to block, backing away to fire her beam rifle, charging in to stab with the rifle's beam bayonet. Leona turns her body to avoid the attack, she counters by swinging her swords in spin. Regina avoids this by boosting upward, she lets go of her shield and pulls out her other beamsaber, she charges down.

Leona raises her swords to block, catching the handheld saber, but curses as Regina's Wyvern fires the beam rifle in point blanks range hitting one of her legs. She pulls her away and retaliates by firing her cannons. Regina dodges one shot, the other grazes her left leg.

"You're pretty good," Regina comments to the other pilot.

"You're not too shabby yourself," Leona answers.

"Care to give a name?" Regina asks as she dodges another dual beam shot

"Leona Gransiere," She stows away her cannons and goes in with her swords. "Yours?"

Regina blocks with her saber and bayonet, "Regina Alexis Dante, you probably know me better as the 'Winged Fury.'"

Leona raises her eyebrow and smirks, "Are you now? I like even more now…"

The Eurasian grins, "Was that a compliment?"

"Depends what you think…" Leona grins back. "Now, shall we play?"

"Let's."

The two mobilesuits charge at each other, causing bright sparks as their blades met. After their first contact, both explode in a bout of sword attacks, going at each other in every possible angle.

Both women smirk as they back away, preparing themselves for another go.

**The Chimera fires his gatling shields at its adversaries,**

"Fancy meeting you again, Visch."

Visch deflects this using the beam sword and Dusk, "Hey Ant, we're pulling out all the stops this time!"

Marvin follows by thrusting in deep. Antonio lets go of one of the shields and quickly pulls out a beam saber to parry Marvin.

"I can see that," Antonio comments.

Visch then charges in with both swords, the Chimera abandons the second shield and pulls out the bladed half of the Mandarangan to block both blades. He then aims the cannons and railguns at them in point blank, the DEEP arms back off fire they fire.

"He's good," Marvin comments to Visch, very impressed.

"And he's just warming up," Visch replies twirling his swords.

Antonio merges the two pieces of the Mandarangan and twirls it, he then he activates his beam saber. "Is that all you got?"

"Of course not," Visch retorts with a grin, "We've hardly even started!"

"Then let's get started now!" The Chimera charges in

"Okay, Visch!" Antonio tries to slash at Visch's DEEP Arms, but he blocks it with his beam sword. "Here I come!"

"Visch!" Marvin yells as he aims his dual cannons to fire pot shots at the Chimera. Antonio dodges the blast, returning them with a few beam rifle shots. He lunges at him with the Mandarangan, Marvin attempts to use his beam sword to block, Antonio swings halfway then stop, instead, he goes for an upward, left to right slash. This leaves a substantial gash in the chest of Marvin's machine.

"Damn!" Marvin curses as he backs away, leaving Visch to do the close combat work.

"Marvin!" Visch calls, "Go help the others. I can take myself."

"Yes sir!" Marvin's DEEP Arms moves away.

The one-eyed pilot then smiles, "So, now that it's just you and me, we can settle this like men."

Antonio smirks, licking his lips to moisten them. "Just the way I prefer it."

They clash their blades together, their weapon making powerful sparks as they contact, they moved so fast that anyone stupid enough to go between them would probably be mincemeat in mere seconds. Antonio couldn't stop grinning as he was actually enjoying this, and at this point ten minutes wasn't enough.

**Daniel and Amon move forward, **

They engage a ginn and a ginn HM which tried to sneak pass the line, these units were piloted by Gabriel White and Heine Westenfluss respectively. Amon went for Heine, while Daniel went for Gabriel.

Amon draws his sword, crashing it into Heine's. Heine pushes him off, with one hand he pulls out his machine gun and fires. Amon sidesteps the attack, returning fire with his M68 "Cattus" 500mm recoilless rifle.

Daniel took aim with his SRM4 "Sagittarius" 94mm. sniper rifle, Gabriel got in too close, swinging his MA-M3 heavy sword. Daniel was forced to parry the attack with the rifle. After several moments, Daniel pushes him back. He pulls out his heat axe and goes after his opponent.

In the back drop, the Basilisk launches missiles from all it launchers. Both it's upper and lower 120mm. MMG68 multi-barrel heavy machineguns were blazing.

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**Whilst combat went off in a furious note in starboard side of the Archangel, things were strangely quiet on the port.**

Earth Forces pilot Mu La Flaga and former Zaft pilots, Janus Llewelyn 'Wynn' Aelia and Miyuki 'the Ultimate Shield' Kajiura aka Morrigan Legna all felt uneasy at this.

"What's taking them so long…?" Mu mutters, almost itching for action.

"If Yzak's the one command…" Wynn mutters, "We better watch our toes. He's going to do something unconventional… I just know it…"

"Guys," Kira calls for the left most of the line. "I have a visual on them! They're coming in fast!"

Yzak, Dearka, Miguel, Rusty and Nicol all went into a strange formation, as the five machines went back to back, twirling in a circle heading towards the Legged Ship. That was when Wynn notices something on her scanners.

"Everyone Scatter!" she barks, as with that, the three mobile suits, and mobile armor broke formation, just at the same time as the five Zaft units as a large pillar of a blast from the Gamow passes by the mobile suits, and nearly hitting the Archangel itself.

"Damn, using those machines to hide their ships attacks, not bad." Mu commented, as the Moebius Armor went after the stolen units.

"That's just like Yzak to do something that." Wynn murmurs herself, as she charges for the incoming machines.

"Well," Miyuki replies, having the Strike Ginn activate the Sidapa double beam scythe. "Let's go meet him."

**"Here they come," **

Nicol murmurs, guiding his Blitz in on the legged ship.

"Yeah," Yzak agreed, grinning. "And today, we destroy the legged ship and the Strike! We won't have to chase after them anymore."

"Right." Dearka smiles in anticipation. "All they've got against us is the Strike, one Wyvern, a Ginn, and a mobile armor. Piece of cake, eh?"

_Don't get too cocky…_ Rusty thought as he pulls out his ginn's lone beam saber.

"Whatever," Miguel growls, "Aelia's mine…"

"Nicol," Yzak calls out, "the legged ship is all yours. Dearka, Miguel, Rusty, keep that mobile armor, Legna and Aelia off us. I'll deal with the Strike."

"Roger that," Nicol acknowledged.

"With pleasure." Dearka replies very eagerly. "Let's go."

**"Incoming," **

La Flaga said tersely. "Wynn, let's go!"

"The Eighth Fleet will be meeting up with us in a few minutes," Ramius reminds the port defense. "We need only hold on until then, even they won't attack once we've rendezvoused."

"Roger," Wynn mutters. "Miguel Aiman is sarcastic and an arrogant ass, but he ain't stupid. Okay, let's do this."

"In any case, they won't destroy the Archangel when I'm around," Miyuki twirls the Sidapa beam scythe like her old Todeschere.

The two groups merged as they met, and machines began splitting off. Nicol manages to blaze right past, heading for the Archangel. Wynn and Mu squared off against Miguel and Dearka respectively, occasionally double teaming. Rusty and Miyuki went at it just behind them. While, the Strike faced off with the Duel.

"You're not getting past us," Wynn hisses, firing off her beam rifle.

"You're mine Aelia!" Miguel snarls, firing his beam canons in return.

"You don't stand a chance!" Dearka retorts, firing gun launcher and beam rifle simultaneously. "You're going down!"

"Not if I can help it!" The Zero's wired gunbarrels deployed, spraying beam cannon fire at the G-weapon.

"What?-!" Dearka yells as he saw the fire coming from the Zero were beams. "Is that mobile armor firing beam weapons?-!"

Mu grins as he saw the Buster become a little cautious, "Thank you Captain and Kajiura."

"Don't you guys know when to give up?-!" Aiman growls, he was getting annoyed already, the two mobile suits and mobile armor were evading almost everything he threw at them.

Wynn took a shot on her shield, then charges forward toward Aiman's DEEP Arms, a beam saber attached to her rifle. "We never learned that in the academy, Aiman."

The Miguel's DEEP Arms level both of its canons, Wynn dodges to one side the two pillars of beam. "Argh! Just die already will you?-!"

La Flaga swoops in at the Buster, gunbarrels out and firing. "Take this!"

"Beams or not, you're still just a puny mobile armor," Dearka engages the Zero. "So get out of my way! Go down!"

One of the gunbarrels was hit, and La Flaga reels in the remaining three, maneuvering away at the same time.

"Doesn't this guy ever give up?" Mu mutters to himself.

**"Hey Rusty," **

Miyuki calls, the Strike Ginn blocking three shots with its Sidapa. Rusty's Ginn heads straight for her, beam saber in hand.

"It's been a while commander," Rusty replies. Miyuki blocks the beam saber with her scythe. The two machines split, then clash sabers again.

"Let's just cut to the chase and get this over with. Ten minutes isn't too long." Rusty replies, as the Ginn backed off, then came in again, as the two weapons clashed together, in a brilliant array of heated colors.

"Right…" Miyuki calls back as the Strike Ginn began to move the Sidapa toward the Ginn, which broke the lock of beams, backing away.

"And for the record," Rusty continues, "No matter what choice you make ma'am, I still got your back."

Miyuki smiles at the Ginn pilot, as they squared off with each other. "Thanks Rusty…"

"Don't mention it."

With that, the two machines came together once again, as their beam weapons connect.

"Rusty!" A new voice calls in the frequency, it was Shiho. "I'll take this battle from here. Go support the Blitz."

"Shiho?-!" Rusty calls, "What the hell are you-!"

"If you're not to fight her, I will." She replies, "Now go support the Blitz!"

Miyuki frowns at this development, but knew was an opportunity to set things straight with Shiho.

"Rusty, do what she says."

Rusty looks between the two suits, he knew the relationship between Miyuki and Shiho like everyone else in the Swords. He quickly understood, they had some issues to discuss.

"Right… I'll see you again, commander." Rusty's Ginn moves past the Strike Ginn.

Miyuki nods, "In a better time."

**The Blitz was now en route to its own target,**

The Archangel were already busy having a slugging match with the Gamow, now they had to deal with one of their own former machines coming straight at them. Luke's Legionnaire Scorpion had moved out to the starboard battlefield to support, leaving only Frank's Legionnaire Firefly as it sole protector.

Then, the Blitz vanished.

"Captain, I've lost the Blitz!" Jackie Tonomura calls, hurriedly checking all his instruments.

Ramius was unfazed. "It's gone under Mirage Colloid," she said calmly. "Fire anti-beam depth charges and anti-air shrapnel warheads."

"Roger," Badgiruel acknowledged. "Fire anti-beam depth charges! Stern missile tubes, switch to anti-air shrapnel warheads!"

"Affirmative!"

Nicol grimaced inside his cockpit, seeing the warheads fast approaching him. Given that he could not evade the attack, he would have to block; and he knew as well as anyone that he would have to drop Mirage Colloid in order to reactivate his Phase-shift. The power consumption demanded it.

"That's right," Nicol said in grudging respect, making the necessary adjustments. "This machine once belonged to you; of course you know its weaknesses."

The now de-cloaked Blitz raised its right arm, blocking the barrage of shrapnel with its Trikeros, though the warheads were kinetic weapons, which Phase-shift made useless. But when Frank in his Firefly fires his gunlauncher, the Blitz quickly dodges the blast. The Firefly was just enough to truly keep at the Blitz bay as long as it could see him

And he did not need to be visible for long; the attack past, he vanished back under Mirage Colloid, leaving the ship once again blind as far as he was concerned.

Frank grimaces a he saw what the Blitz was doing. "Bridge, can you detect him somehow? He's gonna get closer even with us shooting the Triple-A warheads."

Natarle Badgiruel had an idea. Seeing the Blitz fire, it occurred to her that she could use the attacks against their originator. "Calculate the Blitz's position from the shot's angle," she ordered. "And disengage Igelstellung auto-tracking; put up a curtain of fire!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Easier said than done," Frank mutters as he tracks the source of the beam shots. He then spots the Ginn that was close behind the Blitz. "This is just getting better and better…" He mutters as fires his gunlauncher at him.

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**Back on the portside**

_No good_. Antonio Le Saint Claire thought as continued to engage with Visch.

The Blitz, one ginn and the _Gamow_ were directly engaged with the Archangel, the carrier's new laminated armor would give sooner or later. All units in his side were completely preoccupied with the second force. The Strike and the rest of the port defense was doing no better.

He was very tempted to go into AI-SEED mode again, but he knew it was a big risk. He had just recovered from an overdose and his body's system just beginning to re-establish itself.

"Not yet…," He mutters to himself. He'd be damned if the Archangel was going to fall. But he had to keep a cool head and wait for the right moment. No matter how hard it was.

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**Meanwhile, **

Miyuki was also going through her own personal conflict as she crossed weapons with a former friend.

The DEEP Arms opposing her was now pressing the attack against its opponent and ignoring anything else around it. This was completely out of her character and method of combat, this was completely personal for her.

Despite this, Miyuki could predict where her were going. After several parries, she knew she could win.

_I'll cry later…_ Miyuki thought. _Shiho, I'm so sorry… but I can't let my other friends down._

The Strike ginn splits the Sidapa into two kamas, she then begins to fight. Though she didn't want to fight Shiho, she now had the determination to protect the Archangel, even from her own protégé.

She uses the kamas like they were her own swords, using them both over and underhand, using them in her sword spins. She then mixed her moves up, returning the Sidapa into a scythe and pulling out the Schwert Gewehr. She utilizes both weapons' longer reach to force Shiho into the defensive.

Inside the DEEP Arms, Shiho notes that Miyuki wasn't being defensive like had been in the last battle. She could tell by the White Phantom's movements that she was completely determined to fight for the new Earth Forces ship with her life. There wasn't a touch of hesitation at all.

This made Shiho even more confused, "Why…? Why are you so determined to fight for them…? Even with GENESIS… Even with Patrick Zala's plans… Why go to the other side…?"

**"Why won't you just die?" **

Dearka demanded, blazing away at his enemy, the Zero.

"Sorry," Mu replies easily, "but I'm not quite ready yet."

_Come on,_ he thought._ Just a few more minutes... What I'd give to be capable of piloting a mobile suit…_

**The Duel was still trying to dismantle the Strike**

By this time, both parties had switched to beam and were busy slashing at each other, neither gaining the upper hand. Kira was doing far better than in his last encounter with the GAT-X102. He'd gotten a much better grasp of his machine which he uses to cancel every strike that came at him. But he knew it couldn't last forever. He looks at the timer, during that moment, it seemed as though ten minutes was an eternity.

**Wynn was having the same situation with Aiman's DEEP Arms**

Then suddenly, a stray shot coming from the Buster, strikes her in the back. Wynn yells at the impact, she immediately breaks off from Aiman to survey the damage. She curses as she realizes, she had just lost her beam rifle and the beam saber attack to it and she had used all of her missiles. That left only one saber, her knives and her CIWS ad AW22s.

"Wonderful…" She mutters as Aiman approached her to continue the battle.

"What's the matter Aelia…?" Miguel smirks seeing that he had an opening, "Can't fight anymore?"

"In you dreams, Aiman." Wynn sneers arrogantly, pulling out an armor schneider. "It'll be cold day in hell before I'll lose to you!"

On the Starboard side, Luke frowned as he listened in to Wynn's transmissions, he didn't know how much damage Wynn unit had sustained, but her could from her opponent tone that she was now in a handicap.

He looks over to Daniel, "I'm heading Port. They're getting over-run over there."

"Copy," Daniel replies with a smirk. "Go get her, knight in shining armor."

"Wise guy," Luke chuckles.

**Archangel was having her own problems**

The Blitz had reached the so-called "legged ship" and was now hammering at her with its Trikeros. He was also in a position where none of the ship's guns could hit him. Rusty's Ginn, which had accompanied the Blitz, was engaging Frank's Firefly.

Frank grits his teeth as he parries the ginn's saber with both his heathawks. "Damnit…"

Another blast from the Gamow strikes the ship. "Heat distribution system can't seem to keep up," Chandra reports. "Armor temperature is reaching dangerous levels!"

Ramius glowers at the displays and began to resign herself to death. "I can't see it lasting more than a couple more hits..."

"Where are our mobile suits?" Badgiruel demanded.

Mir was already reaching for her console. "Kira! Kajiura-sama! Wynn! Anyone! The enemy is beside the Bridge! Get back here!"

The pilots heard the frantic call, though most of them couldn't do a thing as they were still chest-deep in combat.

"Shit…!" Antonio curses as he forces Visch off him, "Not now…!"

The call made Wynn lose her focus, allowing Miguel to gut off her right arm that held her beam saber.

"Finally," Miguel calls triumphantly. "You're dead Aelia!"

"No…" She whispers, her spirit crushed. "It's not fair… Why now…?"

"No..." Miyuki whispered as Shiho had finally succeeded in landing a hit on the Strike Ginn.. "I can't let this..."

Kira was about to be cut to pieces by the Duel, but he turns to look anyway.

"The _Archangel!"_ Kira's heart ceased and time stopped for him. Everyone's faces floated before his mind's eye, and he remembered...

_Flay, after her father's death. "You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you? It's because _you're_ a Coordinator too!"_

_A little girl, just before the battle, being reassured by Flay. "We're entering another war, but its fine. Because Kira will be out there; he's fighting to protect us."_

_"Really?"_

Behind Kira's eyes, a small pale purple seed explodes. His eyes widen and were unnaturally clear, and his mobile suit moved.

The Duel was coming right for the Strike. "I've got you this time!"

His beam saber came close, close enough to cut his enemy in half, though his enemy was no longer there.

The Strike boosted over the Duel's head, coming to a relative stop directly behind it. "He dodged it?"

Now it was Kira's turn to slice down. His beam saber struck deep, cutting through the Phase-shift armor like it didn't exist. Then he was gone, rushing to the _Archangel_'s aid.

"Everyone!" Kira yells through radio to all the pilots, "I'll handle it, hold your positions! Remember, not a step backwards! We can do this!"

His fellow pilots hesitated for one second, then, they did what he told them to. Kira's call had re-established their discipline as they held, determined than ever.

The Buster spun around to attack the Strike, but Mu wasn't about let him get his way.

"Oh no you don't!"

The Zero launches into a fast and furious series of blasts, opening numerous holes in the G-weapon's armor.

Nicol was shooting at the legged ship's superstructure with complete confidence now, he thought nothing could touch him there. He woefully mistaken, he doesn't realize it until it was too late.

"Stop it right _now!"_ Kira shouted. He landed where the Blitz had been but a moment before, tossed his beam saber away, and pushed off, slamming the Strike's knee hard into the Blitz's torso.

This quickly gets Rusty's attention, "Nicol!"

Frank notes a slight hesitation to his opponent's ginn and capitalizes. He pushes away, and quickly fires his gunlauncher at him, at point blank. He blows the ginn's arm that held the saber.

Yzak was coming up behind Kira. "I've gotcha this time!" Once again, his beam saber came down. He missed.

The Strike dodged to the side, and suddenly an Armor Schneider was in its hand. Normally, the weapon would have been useless against PSA... but there was a chunk of PSA missing from the Duel now.

Yzak grunted in surprise as the weapon struck deep into the gash, then pain when his displays exploded in his face, shattering his visor.

The Duel went careening backwards, out of control, to be caught by the Blitz.

"Yzak?" Nicol called. "Yzak! Are you okay in there?"

"Dearka!" Nicol calls frantically.

"What is it, Nicol?" Dearka was having his own problems, trying to retreat himself.

"It's Yzak!" Rusty hisses as he was forced to retreat too.

He didn't have to explain. Yzak did so himself. "Urgh, it burns, it burns, _it burns!"_

Dearka cursed. "We've gotta get out of here," he said reluctantly. "Yzak's hurt, and my Buster just got hit by that armor. Let's retreat before that fleet arrives."

"Right," Both Rusty and Nicol agree.

**At the same time,**

Miguel Aiman was about to finish off, as he winds up for the finishing blow. Wynn closes her eyes, there was no way she could dodge it. The blast had also ruined her suit's verniers.

"Looks like it's a cold day in hell after all…" She murmurs.

I seemed so, but just before the beam sword touched the Wyvern, two thermal heathawks struck Miguel's DEEP Arms on the side, cutting his right beam canon in half.

"Wynn!" Luke yells Legionnaire charges toward them, his assault rifle blazing as he fired all his missiles. His eyes' pupils were thin slits as his normally hazel brown eyes were now blood red.

"Why you…" Miguel fires his right beam canon at him as got close. To his surprise, Luke dodges it completely even though he was in close proximity.

"Keep away from her!" Luke smacks the DEEP Arms in the head with his Ghazi combat shield as he retrieves one of his Heathawks. He uses the thermal axe to cut off both arms and the last cannon.

"No!" Miguel screams in absolute frustration, slamming his fist at the dashboard. "I was so close!"

After Miguel's unit left, Luke stows his heathawk away and turns toward Wynn's damaged unit.

"Wynn!" Luke's voice now gave away his concern, "Are you alright?"

"It's alright. I'm okay Luke."

"Thank God…" He sighs with much relief, "I thought I'd never made it…"

There was an awkward silence for several seconds

"Luke… I'm so sorry." Wynn began, "I was careless. I…"

"That happens to me sometimes." He interrupts her. That's why we look out for each other. Now let's head back to the AA. We got this one in the bag, Kira and the others will handle the rest."

"Thank you…"

"Don't mention it." He smiles giving her a sly wink through the comlink. "We're a team aren't we?"

She blushes, she then gives him a smile and a nod.

**Also in the same timeframe, Miyuki and Shiho's battle was reaching its conclusion**

After Kira made his drive, Miyuki knew they could manage this, so she focuses all her attention on Shiho's DEEP Arms. There was a large gash on the front of the Strike ginn, this was to be the only serious damage that Miyuki's opponent will manage.

"Just a little… now!" Miyuki launches the Panzer Eisen rocket anchor, timing it perfectly to hit Shiho's beam sword off her hand.

Shiho clicked her tongue, "Damn…"

But before she could retrieve her weapon, the Strike Ginn gets close to the DEEP Arms, pressing the Sidapa beam scythe against the where the cockpit was.

Shiho was breathing constantly, letting her grip on the throttles loosen. She knew, with Miyuki in this range, she lost.

The two kept silent for a while.

Until Shiho calls out, "Commander…! Why…? Why do you insist in fighting with those people…?-! They're the same ones who did Bloody Valentine!"

"Why… why are fighting for them?" She continues in a small voice.

"Because I trust them," Miyuki replies. "I have friends in there."

"Trust can be exploited," Shiho counters. "And friends can betray you…"

Miyuki raises her eyebrow, "Friends like me you mean?"

"No!" Shiho shook her head violently, "It's not that…! It's… it's…"

"It's because they're Naturals isn't it?"

Shiho was surprised by this question. "What do you mean…?"

"When I met you, I did some digging on your past." Her commander replies, "I found out the reason why your mother was heading to Oceana. It's because of a friend, a natural, one she thought she could trust."

Shiho was silenced by this, Miyuki continues. "He turned out to be a member of Blue Cosmos, just in to the group when that bombing happened. He probably figured his old friendship with you mother was an inconvenience. So he set her up in that flight, he knew it was going to be bombed, a certain militant group leader from South Africa was in that particular flight. He had been an inconvenience to the group's expansion in the SAU."

Shiho looks down to the floor of the cockpit. She couldn't deny it, she was scared for Miyuki's sake. Shino was scared she may end up with the same fate as her mother had. A natural had taken away her mother, another may take away her dear friend.

"I…" she forces herself to speaks, "I know I'm being selfish… But can really afford to those naturals, even if they are your friends? After what the alliance did to you… and Darren?"

The wait for Miyuki's reply didn't take too long, "Darren was Natural and was a congressman for the Atlantic Federation, part of the Alliance. And as for my friends in that ship, I have one in there… one that I knew much longer than you and the others, even before I met Darren. Even though she's natural, she was my best friend, at one time, my only friend. We trusted each other so much, we were almost sisters."

"When Bloody Valentine happened, I was hurt both inside and outside." Miyuki took a deep breath as she continued, "So I lashed out at the Alliance looking for revenge."

"I found the first taste of revenge in L4, March 5 of last year… I hate to say it, but that was the first time I actually enjoyed killing people. The more I think about it, it scares me to think I almost fell into the same hole as Patrick and so many others did…"

"But you what made that battle so ironic to me?" Miyuki asks her, undoing her pilot suit, she pulls out the picture of her and Murrue. "A man she was supposed to have married was part of the escort fleet protecting those transport ships. And when she found out I was in large responsible for the Ides, she was so hurt inside…"

"It was bad enough she lost her love, but the thought of her own best friend, the one she grew up with, the one she spend so many summers with when they kids, the one she saved after that friend attempted suicide because she couldn't handle being singled out so much." Miyuki says the last part with so much anger and despair, her freehand grips the throttles tight, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. "I hurt her so bad… In a sense, way much more than I felt before her. I was supposed to be her friend… I turned out be her worst enemy."

Miyuki looks toward the DEEP Arms, "But you know what? She still found it in herself to forgive me, even just a little bit. I did something unforgivable, yet she forgave me. That alone speaks volumes of her character and principles."

The Strike Ginn deactivates the Sidapa, stowing it away in her back, "And she is just only one of those friends in there that ship, they're many more who're just like her. And that is why I am so intent in protecting the Archangel. It's the least I can do for them." "And it's the least I can do to all good hearted people I have killed and hurt directly or indirectly." She says finally, as the Strike turns to return to the Archangel. "Shino… Please don't make me hurt you even more."

"Shiho, forgive me. I had no choice," She calls, "If there was an alternative, I would've taken it. Please, at least believe that."

Shiho watches the Strike ginn boost away in silence and with the wind taken out of her sails. She then sighs, and began to cry, shedding not tears of sadness but instead of joy. She was so relieved.

Her friend's safety among the naturals and wasn't only reason for her fears for Miyuki. When Shiho had first found out about her involvement with the new alliance ship, she was afraid had finally lost her mind and the naturals were manipulating her.

She was frightened at what Miyuki and Lenneth had become during the Ides of March. They weren't the two gentle women she knew. They were slowly evolved into the right hand dogs for the National Defense Committee.

Shiho was glad Miyuki had broken off that path, even if it meant leaving ZAFT.

"Don't worry Commander…" She whispers silently to herself. "I believe you… I believe in you again…"

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**The Strike touched down on the Archangel's forward deck, **

The pilot was breathing heavily, while the Zero assumed a protective position above the ship. "Look at that, they're gone! You were incredible!"

Kira managed, "Lieutenant..."

La Flaga, in awe of what had just happened, shook his head. "No, you're more than that. You're unbelievable."

Kira manages a weak, exhausted chuckle. "Not really."

The young coordinator got more praise when he got out of the cockpit. He finds himself being mobbed by his fellow pilots at the foot of the Strike.

"Kira!" She yells happily, as she hugged her friend tightly. "You were so awesome out there!"

"Those were some killer moves out there kid!" Luke laughs, tousling the teen's hair.

"You were an ace, little mate!" Franks slaps him hard on the back, Kira wondered if he broke something.

"That was one hell of a going-away present kid!" Regina clasps her hands, shaking them both in the air.

"Thanks guys," Kira says humbly, embarrassed of the attention he was getting.

Amon pats him on the shoulder, giving him a smile, very rare among those in the hangar. "You've done well. If you choose to continue this, you'll become one fine pilot."

Kira shook head, "You know by now I don't want that."

"I know," Amon resumed a serious face. "It's alright. That's good choice too."

As the other pilots and mechanics congratulate him, Antonio and Miyuki watched from a distance.

"I was this close," The older cousin shook his head in amazement, and held up his right thumb and index finger a centimeter apart. "I was this close to getting myself back to over secretion treatment again… That kid's something else."

Miyuki nods, "Do you think he has what I think he has?"

"SEED you mean?" Antonio looks at her in the corner of his eye, "Who knows, it'll probably won't matter anyway."

"You're right…" His cousin nods, "In a few hours, he'll just be a civilian again."

"Let's here it to Kira!" Michaels yells, holding up a fist, "Spartans! Awoo!-!"

He, Daniel, Frank and Luke all yelled the response. "Awoo, Awoo, Awoo!-!"

They repeated it, Mu, Regina and Wynn joined in, then the mechanics. After a while, Antonio and Miyuki also joined in.

Then came the most welcomed words any of them had heard in days. _"The Eighth Fleet is here!"_

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**Inside the hangar of the Ursa Major**

The DEEP Arms units went to their respective positions, each of which had several crewmen waiting to service the machine assigned to them. Visch's unit was the first to go to its place. The cockpit opens, its pilot takes off his helmet as he got out. He gets down to deck level, holding the helmet under his left arm, while stretching the other.

On deck, he meets up with the other pilots.

"That was interesting," Visch commented plainly. "Even with half the Swords on our side during this battle, we couldn't beat 'em."

"Legna sure found some formidable allies," Marvin nods.

Chris shook her head, "I say… I haven't fought that hard since my first engagement. The Siginarugan pilot is scary." She held up her hand, it was shaking uncontrollably. "Look at this, I'm a jittering wreck!"

She looks over to Marvin, "And you weren't much help out there either."

"Well excuse me," the black haired pilot grunts. "If you weren't getting in my sights I would probably made a few more shots."

"What was that?" Chris growls.

Before they started their usual arguing, Shiho joined them. Visch quickly noted that her old calm demeanor had returned.

"So Shiho…" He began, "I guess you got your answer. Have you come to a real decision?"

Chris and Marvin looked to her with anticipation.

Shiho doesn't respond at first. She then smile and answers…

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**A/N:** One more to go… before I can start with my version of the desert battles! XD All I can say about them is, they won't just involve the Desert Dawn, the Desert Tiger and Blue Cosmos… hint: remember my Eurasians? It'll definitely won't just be the typical desert stint. Anyhow, please R and R.


	19. Phase15: The Crossroads

**A/N: **Okay, I decided to merge two of the anime's episodes in this one. It's going to be a long one.

**Phase 15: The Crossroads**

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**Inside the Archangel**

Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire, CO of UNAAF Special Taskforce Bravo was collecting his things inside his quarters. It had been a long, hazard riddled trip from Heliopolis to Earth. For pretty much everyone who'd been onboard the Archangel for the past few weeks, their journey was almost over.

For Antonio and crew, they were just waiting for the UNAAF Carrier group sent for them by the UN 2nd Orbital Fleet. Then it would be back to trouble shooting and testing new weapons system. Something Antonio was begrudgingly starting to miss. Sure, it was a cushy number, but at least you didn't get shot at all the time, plus you get paid for just moving mobilesuits a bit and shooting targets that were usually static.

"That was a helluva four weeks we just had," Antonio comments to himself as he lights a cigarette. He frowned in thought as he smoked.

He was slipping into a different mind set, he knew it. It had been with him for the last eleven years, sometimes, death seemed like a bad thing. It would finally put him to rest, and end the nightmares that plagued him for too long.

_Why am I still alive?_

Each day was becoming more of a struggle to just exist, let alone live. It was harder for him to keep his true feelings from showing, so as not to worry those he knew and cherished. But when he was depressed, fake smiles were getting more forced, laughter getting more canned. It was miracle nobody really notices it, Antonio was beginning to consider doing acting after his military career was over…

During that night, eleven years ago, he lost his wife and their child, in an explosion that could've been meant for him. She saw the flash before it consumed them, when he came to, he found her over him, she shielded him from the blast. Despite severe burns and several deep wounds, he survived. She however, didn't.

Antonio shook his head, clearing his mind. Trying to shake away his guilt for living while she died, he couldn't die yet, not while he still had a life to live for. He had to live, if not for Mike, Natarle, Cagalli or even his parents and siblings, at least for _her_ and their daughter's sake.

Besides, he can't die until there was at least an ounce of justice to what had happened to them. He would have no peace as long as that remained unresolved.

**Up in the Archangel's Bridge **

After several weeks on the run after Heliopolis, the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship Archangel made rendezvous with a friendly fleet, cruising amidst the Eighth Fleet's ships. The Basilisk, the Drake-class ship that had been the Archangel only escort, had left to meet up with the UN 2nd Fleet.

"Bring us around," Murrue ordered, "and match velocity with the flagship."

"Yes, Ma'am," Neumann acknowledged. As he carried out the orders, he glanced back over his shoulder. "Are you sure we should be flying alongside the Menelaos?"

She smiled. "Admiral Halberton's orders, Chief. He probably wants a closer look at the ship... if only to reassure himself that we really did make it here."

Murrue chuckles to herself silently, and pushed away from her chair. "Well, I at least had better get going; I have something to take care of before the Admiral arrives. Please hold the fort while I'm gone."

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**It was busy in the Archangel's hanger. **

Wynn's Wyvern wasn't the only machine to be damaged in the last battle. La Flaga's Moebius Zero had lost a wired gunbarrel, the Strike Ginn's had a sizable gash in its front, while most of the other mobilesuits had multiple minor gashes and spots of melted armor. The Strike on the other hand, thanks to Kira's incredible piloting, was the only one that escaped completely unscathed.

Michael and the others were getting their mobilesuits ready for transfer to the UN carrier coming for them, Miyuki had worked on replacing the damaged armor on her suit and the internal damage caused by it. While Kira, Murdoch and the other mechanics worked on the Zero, while La Flaga napped in the cockpit.

Dozed, that was, until Kira suddenly popped out of the mobile armor's hatch. "We've already reached the Fleet," he informs him, "so would someone tell me why we're in such a rush?"

"I just don't feel right -or safe- when it's damaged," the Lieutenant explained.

"The pilots coming over from the Fleet are all rookies fresh from training," Murdoch chimed in. "No experience at all. So if something happens, we'll need the Lieutenant here to sortie."

"But what about the Strike?" Kira asked, turning to look at what had been his mobilesuit for the last few weeks. "I mean, the way I had to alter the OS... is it really okay to leave it as is?"

La Flaga blinked. _Remember, Mu,_ _the kid _is_ leaving. He won't be the pilot forever._

"Well," he began, "I never really thought about that. Good point, actually. But I'm not so sure we should return it to its original state, since that would reduce its performance."

"Well then, we'll just have to hope we get someone who can fly it as is."

Both pilots looked up, to see Murrue Ramius floating toward them. "Uh, Captain?"

"What's this?" La Flaga asked, raising an eyebrow. "To what do we owe the honor?"

The Captain smiles. "I don't mean to intrude, and I realize you have quite a bit of work to do, but I wanted to have a chat with Kira."

"Huh?" Kira's eyes narrow.

Ramius' smile grew. "Oh, don't give me that suspicious look of yours, although I can't really say that I blame you."

He nods slowly, Kira rather respected and admired -even liked- the Archangel's Captain; it would only be polite to hear what she had to say; and he found himself curious, anyway.

**"I've hardly had a chance," **

Ramius said minutes later, "With all the fighting and everything, so I could never find the time to have a meaningful conversation with you." They stood on the walkway before the Strike, and she spent several moments staring at its inexpressive face, before turning to Kira. "Well, I just wanted to thank you properly this time."

He blinks. What had he done that deserved thanks? He'd only done what he'd had no choice but to do, to protect himself and his friends. "Captain?"

She seems to understand. "I put a lot on your shoulders, and made you give us your all. But you did it well, and without complaint. Mostly, anyway," she amended with a smile, remembering both his initial refusal to fly the Strike and his little insurrection with Ms. Clyne. "I can't thank you enough."

Ramius actually bowed, and Kira felt acutely uncomfortable. "It's all right, really, Captain. Besides, Wynn, Kajiura-sama, Mike, the Lt. Colonel and the other all helped as much as me."

"Yes." Murrue nods. "Anyway," she went on, "while the others may not say it to your face, we are all deeply grateful."

Kira shrugged. "I just did what I had to do, Captain."

"That's what they all say," she said with a smile. "You know, I imagine things will be hectic even down on Earth, but I wish you the best of luck." Ramius held out a hand. "You've earned it, Kira."

He hesitantly took it. "You too, Captain."

**Down the aisle of mobilesuits**

Miyuki was quietly working like a bee within her ginn, whistling and with a generally good mood for the first time in a long while. Her last encounter with Shino had lifted a good portion of the emotional baggage she had carried on her chest. There was still some left, but it was comparatively small to what she started with in her journey in the Archangel.

She was standing on the pilot seat with his head in the cockpit ceiling, making some tricky adjustments, when she heard a knock at the hatch. "I hope I'm not intruding?"

The brunette haired pilot pulled her head out of the access panel and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No, not at all, sempai." She motions her friend in. "Is something up?"

Murrue smiles. "No, not really. It's just... You may be leaving in a few hours, and I doubt have a chance to have a conversation with you in a while."

"That's true." Miyuki looked at her friend, she then smiles. "You did notice by now that the Ensign and I have stopped arguing right?"

"Yes, I have actually." Ramius chuckles, then raises an eyebrow giving her a look of mock suspicion. What's up with that? Are you two plotting something behind my back again?"

Miyuki looks at her innocently, crossing her arms whilst making sure Murrue saw her right hand's fingers were crossed. "What makes you say that?"

The two burst out laughing, something that was sorely missing between them for a long time. The last few weeks had been one of the greatest tests of their friendship. But they persevered, even if some issues were still left unsettled."

Murrue glances around the cockpit. "So, what's your plan now?"

Miyuki goes on explaining what she had told Kira hours before. When she was done, Murrue gave her friend an almost identical look as Kira's. "You do realize how sketchy that sounds?"

The younger woman rolls her eyes, "Trust me, I'd take an alternative if there was one."

"Unfortunately." She stretches herself on the cockpit seat. "There isn't one. I honestly hope Admiral Halberton is as lenient on coordinators as the Intel I have on him."

Murrue smiles, "You don't have to worry about that. The admiral will listen to your offer, he's not as conceited as the other high ranking officers. And if I know him, you two should get along fine."

Miyuki nods. "That's good to hear." She fell silent. "Sempai… about… about my past-"

"Forget it," Murrue leans against the side of the door, pulling out the rose pendant, rubbing its surface with her thumb.

"Dmitri was just in the wrong place in the wrong time…" she continues. "You had every right to be angry. You loved Darren didn't you? I completely understand how you must have felt. It's all because of this war… it's the reason why we all have to do these terrible things."

Miyuki nods quietly.

Murrue decided to change the morbid subject, she eyes something strapped on Miyuki. "So, I heard you've been wearing that heirloom of yours."

Miyuki blinked, then looks at the short decorated kris, "Agni" strapped to her belt in its scabbard.  
"Oh, that. I figured I should wear it." She shrugs sheepishly, "After settling some personal issues here and in the battlefield, I guess I found the courage to be wearing it."

She nodded slowly. "I heard you've met several of your old comrades in the last few battles," she said quietly. "Have you settled all of them?"

"Can't say," She admits. "But it's a good start." Miyuki then smiles slightly, "At least now I can go to Alliance with a somewhat clear conscience."

Murrue nods again, "And I'll be there if you need me, don't hesitate to call for my help."

"Thank you, Murrue…"

"Don't mention it," she reaches out a hand, smiling warmly. "We're still friends aren't we?"

Miyuki smiles with equal warmth, she grabs her and pulls her close for a hugs. "You're damn right we are."

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**About an hour later, **

Miyuki stood in military uniform. She, along with the rest of the crew and the Bravo team, stood attention inside the hanger, awaiting the arrival of Admiral Halberton.

As the assembled crew watched, the shuttle from the Menelaos entered the Archangel's hanger and landed on the deck. Within moments, its hatch opened, disgorging Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton, the Menelaos' Commanding Officer, Captain Hoffman, and a couple of other officers, probably the bridge crew.

Instantly, the officers and crew at the head of the formation snapped to attention, showing proper military respect for the man behind the project which had produced their ship and the Strike. Miyuki, Antonio and his team all stood in ramrod straight postures.

Halberton touches down on the deck and returns the salutes directed at him. "When news reached us of the destruction of Heliopolis," he began, "I was convinced that that was the end. I've never been happier to be proven wrong."

"Thank you, sir," Ramius said sincerely.

"I was a little concerned when I heard that you were in a battle earlier," the Admiral went on, scanning the huge chamber. "Is everyone all right?"

Badgiruel seemed to take that as request for introductions. "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," she said with military precision, saluting again.

La Flaga likewise stepped forward. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, of the Seventh Orbital Fleet, at your service, sir."

Halberton nodded in recognition. "The Hawk of Endymion, eh? We were fortunate indeed to have you with us," he added, shaking the Hawk's hand.

"I just wish I could have been of more service, sir."

Halberton's eyes then spot the one person he particularly wanted to meet. Miyuki's eyes met his, as the admiral walked to her front.

"I am glad to have finally met you Mrs. Kajiura," Halberton smiles as he reaches out to her. "It's quite the honor actually. ZAFT's Ultimate Shield."

Miyuki nods respectfully, smiling back and taking the hand. "You too sir, did you know you're of the few officers ZAFT is willing to offer a –ahem– deal with?"

Halberton raises an eyebrow, "Little old me? Why, I flattered. Do they pay better?" The Admiral laughs boisterously.

Miyuki also grins, "What? The pay's actually that bad on your side of the fence?"

"They pay the pogeys back in JOSH-A four times what I earn," Halberton replies. "I may actually consider their offer."

"We'd be glad have you," Miyuki then smirks. "Who knows, we may actually let you lead the assault on JOSH-A."

"That's one assignment I'll be glad to take!" Both the admiral and Miyuki were both burst out laughing, while everyone except Hoffman smirked.

Murrue smiles as she watches the two. _Talk about starting on the right foot._

Halberton then comes across a familiar face, he grins when he sees Antonio. "Well, well… Nice to see the 'Four-headed Dragon' fighting on our side again."

Antonio breaks his military face with a wide smirk. "Hey Skipper," he reaches out, "You look well, you old fossil."

The rear admiral raises an eyebrow, "Well excuse me, it's nice to see you too." He then chuckles, taking his hand.

He then looks at the men beside him, "I believe this is your team?"

"Yes, sir." Antonio introduces each one of them. Halberton recognizes each one by their reputations. He was particularly focusing his attention on Wynn.

"So…" Lewis eyes the blonde teen, "The 'Sarge' managed to get a Sword in his team… the 'Twin Blades of the Moon' no less."

The Archangel's officers all blinked in surprise, all of them looking Wynn. The pilot known as the Twin Blades of the Moon was credited with 60 mobile armor kills in the Battle of Yggdrasil.

Wynn raises an eyebrow at the admiral, "So you know me sir?"

"I should," the admiral retorts with a grin. "You almost killed me back in 69, the August blockade run, the one near where Yggdrasil was? Remember?"

Wynn blinked, "That was you? I thought you were a ship captain by then?"

"I didn't have a commission until November."

"Oh…" Wynn scratches her head awkwardly, "Heh, heh... Wow. What a small world…"

The Admiral then turned his attention to the larger group behind the Bridge crew, headed by the six in volunteer blue. "And who might these be?"

"Sir, these are the students from Heliopolis," Ramius explained. "They've been helping with the operation of the ship; without them, we likely would not have made it this far."

"I see," Halberton murmured, genuine respect in his voice. "It is a remarkable thing indeed, when such young people take up arms in their own defense. Thank you for aiding the Archangel on its way here. Oh yes," he continued, "you'll be relieved to know that we've done some checking on the families of each one of you, and everyone is safe."

Hoffman then leaned over. "Uh, sir, we don't have much time."

"Right," the Admiral whispered back. "Well," he said to the volunteers, "Duty calls. But when we have the chance, I'd like to have a chat with you guys." he told the teens, as he, and the officers left the room.

**Before Miyuki could follow them, **

Murdoch stopped her. "Hey Sword, we all got a gift for yah." he told the brunette haired woman, as he and his mechanical crew were right behind them.

"What is it?" Miyuki gives them a questioning look.

"Here, its something we made for you." he told the teen, as a brown package was given to him, as he opened it. Within the package, was a pilot's uniform. It looked much like the Archangel's uniform that she has been wearing in battle since Heliopolis.

But she quickly saw the suit was colored red and white. "This is…" she said, holding the uniform spread out over his arms, where had been blue and black in the uniform, was now ZAFT Elite red. On the shoulder, replacing the OMNI-Enforcer crest was the Insignia of Swords of Zodiac, a long sword flanked on both sides by an S and a Z, emerging from both of them was a wing. The helmet was made to similar to that of what Mu and Antonio wore, with the visor showing only the eyes. On one side, the symbol of Death's favorite daughter was painted, an angel holding scythe and a rose.

Miyuki looks up toward Murdoch, "I don't know what to say…"

"You're welcome, but it was Lt. Aelia's idea." Murdoch told the pilot with his hand behind his head, as Miyuki looked surprised as he turned to Wynn.

Wynn smirks as she gave a nod. "Yeah, I heard you're planning to be a pilot for the Alliance a while, so I figured you should have a custom uniform for it." she told her with a shrug. "Sorry if the colors are a little inappropriate."

Miyuki smiled, shaking her head. "It's just fine, frankly I'll be more comfortable wearing this than the EA colors."

"So…" Wynn got serious for one moment, "You're really going to go through this…"

"Yeah… I understand if you feel I'm betraying the Plants…"

Wynn shook her head, "That doesn't matter to me anymore, we all have to follow the paths we've chosen to take. I don't know why you chose to leave ZAFT but knowing you, it's definitely a just reason."

Miyuki nods gratefully, "Thank you, Wynn…"

"Alright, enough with the sentimental stuff, off to the Captains office, Kajiura." Murdoch told her, as he watched the two Former members of the Swords head off in different directions, one towards the office, where the good Admiral was going to brief the crew on its next mission; the other, to her mobilesuit as the UN carrier group Agares has just rendezvoused with the Eighth fleet.

They both turn around one last time to wave goodbye.

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**It only took twenty minutes for the UN force to vacate the Archangel **

While Jethro, Naomi and the other UN personnel boarded shuttles toward the Nelson-classes, Tiberius and Caligula. The Bravo team and Amon left in their mobilesuits, all of them heading toward the Agamemnon-class Agares. Docking into the ship was a little slower than it was in the Archangel, since there was only one linear track.

Antonio looks over toward the Archangel, looking at for what he thought was the last time. He wasn't going to see the ship and its occupants for while. He had radioed to them before launched, bidding them farewell. Earlier, he had thought of personally going around to say goodbye, but he was still feeling the blow of what happened to friend and advance fleet, he choose not to.

"Good luck to all of you." He whispers to himself, before beginning his landing run.

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**Captains Office, Archangel.**

While he was aboard Archangel, Admiral Halberton had taken Murrue's office, and he now sat behind the desk as they work out the details of the ship's operations for the near future. The three officers of the Archangel stood attention in front of him single rank, Miyuki stood to the side of them, not at attention since she wasn't officially in the Earth Forces military. Well, not yet anyway.

"First," the Admiral began, "I should mention that you're all being promoted. It's not official yet, but it will be as of your arrival on Earth."

The officers salute simultaneously. "Thank you, sir!"

Halberton waved a hand. "You deserve it, after making it so far under such conditions. This brings me to my next point." He turned to Miyuki. "If I understand correctly, Mrs. Kajiura, you have come here with the intention of enlisting in the Earth Forces?"

"Yes sir," She responds politely. "However, there are certain conditions; and if you can't accept them. I'll leave the ship, even with the use of force if necessary."  
Admiral nods, she goes on, "First, I refuse to give any intelligence whatsoever about the PLANTs. I will give tactical and strategic data of any ZAFT military installation, but if you want anything about the PLANTs coming from me, you'll have to pry it out of my cold dead fingers. Second, I will have the right not shoot to kill against ZAFT pilots unless the situation leaves me with no other option."

"I see. Well, Kajiura, I can accept your conditions; frankly, I was expecting them. Therefore, I hereby grant you a direct commission in the Earth Alliance Forces. Unfortunately your position in ZAFT does not apply, you will have to settle for Lieutenant I'm afraid."

Miyuki shrugs, "I currently care little of rank, sir."

"I understand. You are hereby assigned to the Archangel," He glanced at Mu and Murrue. "Assuming neither of you have any objections?"

The Captain shook her head. "Of course not, sir... if Lieutenant La Flaga doesn't."

Mu cracked a smile. "Makes perfect sense, Admiral, putting an experienced mobile suit commander in one of our suits. Besides, she makes one hell of a wingman. …or should I say wing woman."

Miyuki smirks at him wryly, "Thanks Mu."

"I see." The Admiral shook his head. "Pity we can't get hold of any more Swords."

"How's the old Yojimbo, Hungryman by the way? I haven't seen him since the war broke out."

"Dead, Sir," the ace replied. "Endymion Crater, the Cyclops got him."

Halberton nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry to hear that. He was a good man."

"Yes, he was. You knew him sir?"

"Yes, I met him in Copernicus, he was on leave I believe."

The officers had turn to stare at her. "'Yojimbo'? 'Hungryman'? " Natarle questioned, confused.

"Kazuma Genkaku," Miyuki explains. "His official callsign was Gemini Alpha, the East Asians gave him the name, 'Yojimbo' during the Euro-Pac war, that's Japanese for the 'bodyguard', because he was the best fire support man in the whole of ZAFT." She then smirks, "We in the Swords called him 'Hungryman', 'cause the guy was always eating something, if you weren't careful around him, he'd clean out."

"Including me," Halberton said dryly.

"Hungryman," Mu repeated, shaking his head. "I met him Jachin Due, he's a nightmare when he gets his Barrus going."

"You should going up against him when he's assault shroud." Miyuki looked amused. "You and anything behind you will be shish-kebab."

Hoffman, who so far had been silent, looks curiously at Halberton.

"Sir," he began quietly, "You do know your actions here may not be very popular with Headquarters. Alaska may not approve of the idea of giving a former ZAFT pilot such a post on our most advanced ship..."

"Alaska can go to hell," Halberton said concisely. "If they didn't expect me to exercise my own initiative, they shouldn't have put me in command of a fleet. After Heliopolis, it's hardly as if the Archangel or the G-weapons are secret anymore, and believe me, we can use a woman such as Kajiura. An elite ZAFT commander, and one of absolute reliability... even if she does have his own agenda." He gave the pilot a shrewd look. "You do have your own agenda, don't you, Kajiura?"

The woman raises an eyebrow, "Don't we all?"

Hoffman clears his throat, "Well, then. What of the other Coordinator, this... Kira Yamato. Are we to just forget all about him?"

Murrue's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I think we owe it to him," she said firmly. "Not to discredit the UN forces and missu– I mean Lt. Kajiura, but without his aid, we would never have reached here; but he is not a soldier. He was under a great deal of strain, these past weeks, and suffered greatly from having to fight against his own people. He's a kind, sincere young man, and I believe we owe him every consideration for his actions."

Natarle frowned. _She doesn't get it. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices in war, even of those who would rather stay out of it. She doesn't see that... but I do, and now I have a chance to say so._

"Excuse me, Admiral," she said, stepping forward. "But I find I must agree with Captain Hoffman's sentiment. Kira Yamato has incredible potential, and even now excels as a pilot. His skills would be invaluable to the Earth Forces; I strongly recommend that we keep him aboard."

Halberton spared her barely a glance. "I'm sure the young Coordinator's abilities would be useful to us, Ensign, but as Lt. Ramius just pointed out, he is not a soldier at all, let alone with the Earth Forces. We have no jurisdiction over his actions once he departs from this ship."

"Yes, sir, but if we were to convince him..." Natarle thought furiously. "Perhaps by holding his parents, we could put pressure on him..."

The Admiral's eyes swiftly narrowed, but before he could explode, Miyuki diffuses him by clearing her throat. "We've already done it once with Miss Clyne, Ensign," she said coolly. "Do you think that's a good idea after our escapade a little while back? If weren't for that, and if young Yamato was a little older, I would've support the idea. But no, right now, we have no moral leeway to do so."

Murrue stared at her with disbelief as Miyuki gave the ensign a soulless look.

_You support her idea?-! _She thought indignantly._ Whose side are you on anyway?-!_

Fixed on by Halberton's glare and Miyuki's unnerving glance, Natarle quickly subsided. "My apologies, Admiral, for speaking out of turn," she said nervously.

Halberton sagged back into his chair, looking more tired than angry. "What's past is not our concern," he said wearily. "What matters now is where we go from here."

Hoffman stepped forward once again. "With the destruction of the advance forces," he announced, "We no longer have the additional personnel to allocate to the Archangel. I'm afraid you'll have to remain short-handed for the time being, though Lt. Kajiura's presence should offset that lack to a certain extent."

The Admiral nods. "I'm afraid the Archangel will have to descend to Earth with its existing complement. However, you should have no trouble reaching Alaska from here. Fortunate, given that it is essential that your ship and the remaining G-weapons reach the base."

"It seems that Alaska does not share that view," his flag captain murmured.

"Bah." Halberton stood, shaking his head. "What do those pencil-pushers and pogeys know about the reality of space combat? Even the combat veterans have been so long in desk jobs that their brains have emaciated, and there's nothing worse for a war effort than an armchair commander." He clenched a fist. "It burns me... those officious airheads keep wasting precious resources on concessions, while regarding the casualties in battle as nothing more than figures on paper!" Abruptly, he stopped, looking at Miyuki. "My apologies about the concessions reference, Lieutenant..."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, sir. Concessions were never smart when fighting a war, and I never liked the whole 'expendable solider' thing either. Besides, the only concessions we want come only at the end of the war."

Halberton waved a hand. "One way or another, there will be a compromise at the end of all this. Assuming, of course, that there's enough people left on either side to propose a compromise."

He turns back to Murrue. "That's why it's essential that we get the G-weapon project back on track. We need to end this war quickly, before it gets entirely out of hand, and more innocents go the way of Bloody Valentine. Therefore, it is imperative that you reach safe harbor in Alaska."

Murrue was startled by his fervor, but then smiled and saluted. "Very well, Sir. I'll be sure to convey your sentiment when we reach Alaska."

Mu likewise brought his hand up. "As a surviving mobile armor pilot, that is one order I cannot refuse." _Anything that brings this war to an end before more get slaughtered like Junius Seven or Endymion Crater..._

Halberton returned their salutes. "I appreciate that."

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**Meanwhile, several kilometers away, within the UN 2nd Fleet, inside the Agamemnon-class Agares**

Antonio Le Saint wore his usual fatigue uniform and the UN beret, he stretches his arms and yawn as he enters the ship's hangar. He had just come from the ship's bridge for a conversation with Fleet Admiral John Lawson. Lawson praised Antonio's handling of the situation, and had recommended him and his whole team for promotion by one rank. Antonio was now full colonel.

He walks up to the Chimera and finds now-Sgt. Luke Lawman working up in the cockpit.

"Hey Luke," He calls. "What'cha doing up there? Anything wrong?"

Luke turns to his superior, "Oh nothing wrong with the Oh-one three, I just added a little something."

Antonio quickly raises an eyebrow, he didn't like anyone doing anything on his suit without him knowing. "What is it Luke, I'm the guy flying this bad boy."

The South African smiles, gesturing towards the cockpit, "While don't you find yourself?"

Antonio stares at him, and then reluctantly nods. He slips into the cockpit like he always does, starting up the systems.

As soon as he did so, he was greeted by a female voice, taking by surprise, "Welcome Col. Le Saint Claire, all systems are operating normally."

Antonio stares around cockpit for a moment, then at Luke. "Okay… What the hell was that?"

"That was Verdani," Luke replies.

He raises an eyebrow, "Verdani?"

Luke nods, "That's name the quantum AI I designed picked. She's part of the ZERO system command package. The fleet had the specialized CPU for it. It's in that vacant spot behind the chair."

Antonio looks to the back, he sees the said unit.

The ZERO system, a new experimental MOS. Aside from the usual functions, the system was also designed to evaluate an enemy's performance and devise counter-measures against that particular hostile. This would also allow advanced auto-pilot maneuvers, allowing for competent unmanned combat mobile units.

The main selling point of the system was it's utilization of advanced tracking systems, it takes all this information it collects the information from these systems and converts them all into 3D map, giving the pilot a visual bird's eye view of the battlefield. Here, the system may also suggest possible tactics and strategies to utilize against the enemy, making it ideal for field combat commanders.

"I thought this system wasn't ready yet."

"She wasn't," Luke replies. "I've been working some extra hours getting her ready, Verdani did help me lay out most of the boring stuff…"

Antonio stares at him, "The AI helped program for you? And what do mean it picked its name?"

Luke blinks, he then chuckles. "Oh, sorry Sarge, I guess you weren't informed about the AI."

"The AI for the system is very advanced," he explains. "She can actually learn things, that's how the system can evaluate for combat."

The Spartan of Waves raises an eyebrow, "So, it learns things?" He didn't sound convinced.

"Sir," the system's voice began again. "Allow me to demonstrate."

"In combat, you prefer using close combat weapons to avoid being targeted with long-range weaponry and to force your opponents to use its own melee weapon, making them easy prey to your beam sabers and your expert skills in close combat. Aside from intercepting missiles, you use the CIWs on phase-shift using opponents to force the armor to deplete the unit's battery. The only times you use the Bathala beam rifles are opponents are out of reach of melee weapons."

The AI goes to suggesting several methods of how to undo him. Antonio flinches at some of the AI's rather painful suggestions.

Luke smirks, "I forgot to tell you, she can hear you, she understands several languages and she also does not like being called 'it'."

Antonio was caught off-guard and given sizable portion of humble pie.

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**Back in the Archangel**

The newly-commissioned Lt. Miyuki Kajiura was seeing her daughter off at the shuttle that was to bring Elle to the Menelaos. Miyuki's daughter was going to live temporarily with her new friend and her friend, an older girl who she shared her name with. The young mother kneels down, to talk to her daughter face to face. She was going to say something, but she saw her little girl's eyes, those words died in lips. Even if she had rehearsed her lines and tried to prepare herself for it, it hurt. How would you feel if you had to say goodbye to someone you for what be the last time? When you know that the odds of you coming back were zero? How can you say that to a little girl?

Fortunately, or unfortunately, she didn't have to; her daughter did it for her.

"You're going to fight in the war again," Elle looks at her mother, equally sad as she was. "Aren't you, momma…?"

Miyuki bit lip, wishing she could say no, wishing she could just go with her, to just forget the war and leave it all behind, and start new life.

"Yes…" She responds, looking at her daughter as the tear welled up in her eyes, until finally stream down her cheeks. "Yes, mommy's going to war again… I… I… have some things I have to finish… I can't leave them undone. I'm so sorry…"

Elle almost expected the answer, glumly, she nods. "I know… I understand… If you don't, more people are going to die…"

The little girl steps forward, getting her little arms around for mother, much her surprise. "More people are going to die like daddy did… But you can stop that. Right?"

Miyuki's eyes widened as her daughter said those words, they sounded so mature, so controlled, nothing like a girl her age should be.

_Correction_, she thought in her mind, _nothing like a 'Natural girl' should be. Her genes are kicking in._

It was one of the prices to have a coordinator child, they'd lose their sweet innocence much sooner.

Miyuki smiles, bringing her own around her, "My little girl… she's growing up…"

"Momma…" Elle buries herself within her mother's chest, crying. "Promise me, stay alive, and come back."

Miyuki rest her head on her shoulder, silent. As a soldier, she couldn't make that promise. It was just something they can guarantee.

"Promise me! Promise me, you won't die!"

But then again, she wasn't just a soldier anymore, she was a mother.

Miyuki hold her tighter, "I will, I promise."

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**In another side of the Archangel's, Hangar **

Kira stood atop the Strike's torso, staring up at the impassive face above him. It looked almost like it was alive, sometimes; a sleeping warrior, the epitome of the perfect war machine, just waiting for the right pilot to climb in and awaken it to its full potential.

There was no question that Kira had brought the Strike to its fullest potential. In fact, he had made it into something beyond its designer's wildest dreams... but he was not proud of it.

_Maybe I am the right pilot,_ he thought, _but not because I want to be._

He remembered events from the last three weeks, Meeting his old friend Athrun Zala, in the exploding Morgenroete factory, atop this very mobile suit, cutting a ginn clean in half, then facing Athrun in the Aegis, though neither made an aggressive move. Facing Athrun once more, before the advance force was completely destroyed. And finally, one last time, with Lacus Clyne as witness, as they swore to hold back no longer, to show no mercy to each other on the field of battle...

"Sometimes it feels almost as if they're alive, doesn't it?"

Kira turned in surprise, he found Admiral Halberton looking up at him from the catwalk. "Kira Yamato, I presume. I read about your actions in the report; and Lieutenants Ramius and La Flaga, as well as Lt. Kajiura and UNAAF report, speak quite highly of you."

That made him a little uncomfortable; he was still unused to such praise. "Well... I had a lot of help."

"I know you did," Halberton acknowledged. "But they didn't help you _fly,_ now did they? That was all you, Kira. All of it."

"I guess..."

The Admiral nodded. "You know, when I first proposed the G-weapon project, in 69, I was merely seeking an adequate countermeasure to ZAFT's mobile suits. Yet with people like you inside them, they suddenly become extraordinary super weapons."

"I wouldn't know about that..."

"I would," Halberton informed him. "And so would Col. Le Saint Claire –in case you're wondering, had been promoted– who made a very detailed report on you, from the perspective of an experienced mobile suit pilot. He also said that with one of these machines, you are capable of surpassing even him. Having seen the battle data, I'm inclined to agree." He inclined his head. "In some ways, that's made even more remarkable by the fact that, as I've been informed, your parents are Naturals."

Kira blinked, but nodded. "Uh, yes sir, that's correct."

"Obviously, they knew enough not to try to raise you the same way as a Natural, but rather let you reach your full potential." Halberton nodded to himself. "Part of me wonders what they wanted to achieve by making you a Coordinator; but whatever their reasons, the fact that you are one has saved a lot of lives." He raised a hand, stopping Kira's protest. "Yes, I know you took a few along the way, but not as many as you saved among the _Archangel_'s crew and passengers, and not as many as will be saved if this ship can continue her mission. Through her, and G-weapons she carries, we may, perhaps, bring this war to the swift end you and I both desire."

"I hope so, Sir," Kira said sincerely. _If I've helped speed up the war's end, it'll have been worth it..._ "Uh, sir, what happens now to the Archangel, and Lieutenant Ramius and the others?"

"They'll be going back to the battlefield," Halberton answered. "They'll be playing a critical role from here on out, if we can get them down to Alaska safely."

The Coordinator nodded to himself; that was much as he expected. But he still had one question. "But... I thought I..."

"I know exactly what you're concerned about," the Admiral said kindly. "You possess certain... abilities... that would make you very valuable to the military. But we're not in the business of drafting people, Kira; and just having you would hardly guarantee us victory, now would it?"

Kira was becoming increasingly torn inside. "But... If I have the power to make a difference, shouldn't I put it to good use?"

Halberton smiled. "Only if you have the will to do it. Those who lack the will never do see it through to the end..."

Their conversation was interrupted as an aide stepped into the hangar. "Sir, the _Menelaos_ would like you back onboard at once."

The Admiral sighed. "They just won't let me have a decent chat with you guys," he complained. "Well, Kira, I leave you with one last piece of advice: Do what you have to do, then move on." He walked toward the hatch. "May you live to see the dawn of a better era!"

Kira watched him go. _What do I do? Where will I go? I don't want to see any more bloodshed. But... if I have the power to make a difference, shouldn't I...?_ He closed his eyes. _What do I do?_

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**Couple hours later**

Miyuki headed down the corridor back toward the hangar. Her daughter's leaving still had an affect on her. It was like shellshock, your brain was disabled somewhat, you couldn't function like you normally would.

Along the way, she ran into Tolle and the others.

"Hey, Miyuki-sama!"

The woman turns to him, "Tolle…"

"What's up?"

"Nothing much," she replies. She then notices they were still in uniform, "I thought you guys were disembarking."

"We changed our minds," Sai informed her. "Flay volunteered first, and I figured I shouldn't leave her all by herself, and well... things led from there."

Miyuki blinks. "Flay joined up?"

She had heard from Wynn of Flay's actions around Kira and seeing it first hand. She too wasn't sure she could trust her. Something was going on, something that bothered her...

Mir smiled. "We were surprised, too, but we all figured we might as well stay, too. Tore up our discharge papers and everything. We're official Earth Forces personnel now."

_Damn… Ton-ton will be ballistic if he finds this out… Looks like I'll have to be looking over Flay for now…_

"Though I'm still not certain it's a good idea..." Kuzzey said hesitantly. "Or rather, I'm not sure it's safe."

The sandy-haired pilot snorted. "If you want safe, you don't wanna be in the military, Kuzzey. Take it from me: battlefields are very dangerous places; I should know. On the other hand, the Archangel is just about the safest place you're likely to find in battle."

"You're staying too, right?" Tolle asked.

"Yeah, I'm staying. Halberton assigned me to the Archangel. With Kira gone, I'm the only one who can pilot the Strike."

He nodded. That was about what he'd expected. "So, you're taking the Strike now? What about that other suit we saw the Eighth Fleet guys brought in?"

Miyuki frowned. "What other suit?"

"You don't know about it?" Sai wondered, pointing his thumb towards the hangar. "They've brought in a second suit into the hangar."

Miyuki raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "Huh… Murdoch did say he had a surprise for me… Well, I'd better get going and see what exactly it is. Later, guys."

Mir smiled. "You too, Miyuki-sama."

**"Hey, Lieutenant," **

Murdoch greeted when the pilot walked in. "Wondered when you'd turn up. Nice timing, too. We just finished the last adjustments for your new suit."

"Is that so?" Miyuki looked up at the steel grey mobilesuit. It was very similar to the Strike, so it was probably a GAT-x100 series. It had what looked like a Trikeros system on its left arm, not one but two Schwert Gewehr anti-ship swords and it looked like there were two Midas Messers on it back.

"He looks promising… Mind telling me his name, Chief?"

"GAT-X104 Phantom," The older man first began. "He's pretty much the hard-headed brother of the Duel, Buster and Strike. He was the original user of the Mirage Colloid before the Blitz came."

"Sounds like he already has a reputation," the woman acknowledged. "Can you evaluate why he's the black sheep of the series 100 family?"

Murdoch rolls his eyes, "Back in the day, we never really got this guy to be fully operational mechanically. The frame just doesn't allow enough space for the colloid system to be used without messing with the other systems. It's only when we sent this thing to Morgenroete in Orb did the quirks got cleaned out."

Miyuki nods, "Okay… So, it's no longer a lemon right?"

"Don't worry," Murdoch chuckles, "He operates fine now. By the way, we copied the OS from the Strike Ginn, from what we can tell, its functioning fine."

"Thanks, does this fella have anything else besides the weapons I'm seeing? Aside from PSA and Mirage Colloid that is."

"Right..." The mechanic pointed at the machine's chest. "There's a beam cannon in there. It's kinda the Aegis' Scylla, with a better reflector system so you don't blow yourself up with it."

"Improved avionics –kinda like the ones from the Chimera and Siginarugan- and this baby actually got an Edea battery, and no, I do not know how the hell they fit that in there. And, we added something you may like."

Miyuki nods, seeing what he meant, "Scabbard racks for the Chaya and Be-day."

"It'll take some getting used to," she went on, whilst nodding "But I think I can handle it."

"Good." Murdoch grins, Miyuki returns it with equally wide one. This may be the beginning of a very scary relationship.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**While Miyuki began optimizing the Phantom, meanwhile in the UN 2nd Fleet mobile carrier Agares**

Antonio was busy familiarizing himself to the new options he had in his Unit's new OS. As he did so, he barely hears the tapping on the cockpit's door frame. He looks up to find the captain of the ship looking at him.

He stares at her as he gives Verdani instructions, "Take over for now will you?"

"Yes Colonel."

Une smiles, "Looks like you've got some new fangled conveniences in there."

"She helps," Antonio smiles as he stood up. "Let's talk outside."

**The two officers stood front of the Chimera, both leaning against the rail. **

"I would like you to know that Meteor has been successful," Une began the conversation. "The information given to us was accurate to the letter."

Antonio nods, "So… that means its true… that Eurasia's been doing extensive testing on… unwilling subjects?"

She eyes him side ward, "You knew?"

The colonel nods, "I recommended to the higher ups that, that part of the Intel were to be withheld from you until it was confirmed. It's a very inflammatory accusation, if the media finds that out… well, I'll leave that to your imagination."

Une nods, "I guess you're right…"

"Also," She continues. "We've successfully tested the first SK-XG units, all of them surpassed their optimum requirements."

"Good to hear," Antonio replies. "I guess that means the updating the Scandinavian mobile forces will happen near in the future. I hear you're beginning to refit Leos and Aries units?"

"Yes, and the Taurus has just been put into production. The first models should be available in the incoming months."

"They're to be shipped straight to Niflheim I presume?"

She responds with a nod, "It's going to be operation later this year."

"Hey Une… How's Nate by the way?" He asks, "I heard he was in the Meteor briefing you attended."

Une rolls her eyes, "Nate has always been Nate, what can I say? He's doing pretty well for himself and the others, I guess."

"I heard Noine's been knighted," Antonio comments. "How's she been doing?"

"She's doing well," The captain replies as she cleans her glasses. "She's been very worried about you since news of your team being involved in Heliopolis came out."

"I see… Please tell that we're fine now. And I just might be able to visit her sometime this September."

She nods, "Anton… she's also been worried about Master. Ant, I know not my place to tell you this but… do you think its okay for Master to continue what he's doing? He's taking any job, for anyone, even to the point of switching sides after one operation then going back after he's doing with the next. Even Nate doesn't go as far as he does. He's going to get himself killed one of these days."

Antonio shrugs, "It's his life."

She looks at him incredulously, "Aren't you at least worried from him?"

"I am, but the kid's still in nineteen, he's young, and reckless. And besides, it may be a good learning experience for him."

"You call playing Russian roulette with your life a learning experience? He should be in college, taking up mechanical engineering or something…"

Antonio bursts out laughing, "Master, in a class room? Yeah, right… Like that'll ever happen."

"So," Une looks at him. "You're just going to let him do what he wants?"

She then sighs, "Oh whatever… Forget that I asked."

"By the way…" Une then smiles like a Cheshire cat. "How's your relationship with that Badgiruel woman, she not already on her last nerve, I hope."

Antonio frowns at her, "Ha, ha. For your information, we're doing fine thank you."

Une chuckles, "Oh, don't be so sensitive. It's was just a question."

He then raises an eyebrow at her, "At least I'm doing better than a certain woman I know."

She instantly gives him an icy glare, "Don't even go there."

Antonio walks toward her, getting his arms around her waist. "Don't be so sensitive. Besides, you'll always have me…"

Une rolls her eyes, "I heard that line before…"

The two Spartan Eternals laugh, Une attempted to get out of Antonio's arms. They playfully wrestled for while, a rather interesting scene the hangar workers and Antonio's unit enjoyed while it lasted.

Eventually settled on the top of the Chimera's left shoulder, Antonio leaned against the head's side, with Une pressing against him.

The two kept silent for a moment or two, the machinery and people shouting instruction was heard from below.

"It's been a while Anton," Une began, breaking the silence. "That we actually had a chance to even talk to one another."

"Yeah," He replies, looking up toward the hangar's ceiling. Antonio smiles a bit, "Mike's so going to kill me if he catches us…"

Une chuckles, "Well, too bad for him."

She then got serious, "Anton… I heard what happened to George Allster… I'm sorry."

Antonio's smile disappeared in an instant. Replaced a by an expressionless face, devoid any emotion. That was because it was numb, it wasn't sure, whether to be sad, angry… hurt.

"What are you going to do with Flay?" Une asked.

He was silent for moment, "That's a good question…"

"Antonio," She looks at him. "She's going to find out sooner or later."

Her sighs tiredly, "I know… I'm not sure if I can handle it anymore."  
"Don't say," Une says firmly. "The Antonio I know won't give up that easily."

"That Antonio's only good for war," He replies even more exhaustedly. He looks done to the Chimera's shoulder. "The one she really needs… That part of me died eleven years ago."

Une looks him, dismayed, watching helplessly as her friend's depression consumed him. "Anton…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back in the Archangel, inside the bridge**

Pal, sitting at the fire-control station as usual, noticed something on his display, and instantly began to think he had very bad luck.

How else to explain the fact that, for the second time in a row, it was he who first noticed the signs of enemy attacks?

"Radar jamming, Captain!" he called out. "N-jammer levels increasing!"

Murrue whirled around. "What? An enemy attack, now?"

"Looks that way, Ma'am." Pal typed furiously, bringing up all relevant data. "Looks like... four Nazca, and two Laurasias.

Murrue closed her eyes. _Not again... not when we're so close to reaching Earth..._ "Sound Level One Battle stations."

**Down in the Hangar**

Kira Yamato stood in line in, waiting his turn to board the shuttle bound for the _Menelaos_. In his hand, he held one of the paper flowers that had been dispersed over the remains of Junius Seven. One of the Heliopolis refugees, a little girl, had given it to him in thanks for protecting the ship and her passengers up to this point.

_Well, it's finally over,_ he thought with a mental sigh of relief._ We've come this far, and now it's time to go back to civilian life. _

He was going to Orb, since that was where his parents had ended up after the colony's collapse. There were but a few people ahead of him when the shout rang out behind him.

"Kira!"

Kira turns in surprise, seeing Tolle, Sai, Kuzzey, and Mir coming toward him.

"There you are," he said, relieved. "I thought you weren't gonna make it."

"We're not." Tolle shoves a rolled-up paper into his hand. "This is meant for you; it's your discharge papers. But you're going alone."

Kira blinked in shock. "What?"

"We've all decided to stay here," Sai told him. "With the Archangel and the military."

"But-"

"Flay decided to volunteer," Kuzzey cut in. "So we thought we'd do the same."

Kira couldn't believe his ears. "Flay joined up? But I thought-"

"It's because of her father's death, I think," Mir said. "She wants to help make sure the war ends before too many more lives are lost."

He was at a complete loss for words, but the officer at the shuttle's hatch filled the silence. "Hey, you! We're leaving!"

"Uh, please wait a moment!" Tolle answered. "He's coming!" He looked back at Kira. "Think of this as destiny. Take care of yourself, and help us out by making sure you get to Earth safely."

That was when the alarms began going off. _"All hands to Level One Battle stations! Repeat, all hands to Level One Battle stations!"_

"We'd better go," Sai told the others. "So long, Kira."

The group moved off; Kuzzey decides to turn around one last time. "No matter what happens, please don't be tempted to join ZAFT!"

Then they were gone, leaving Kira by himself. _What's... going on?_ Oblivious to the alarms, he looked at the simple piece of paper which told him he was free to go. Then he looked at the paper flower, which told him he could make a difference. _Make a difference..._

_"Kira, you have the power to make a difference, don't you?" _La Flaga had said, weeks earlier._ "So why not put it to good use?"_

"…_There aren't that many people who can make the same claim."_ Kajiura said several days ago. _"Sometimes, war can be decided by a handful of people that includes you."_

_"Thank you for protecting the rest of us till now..."_

Kira took one last look at his discharge papers. _Even Flay is staying... How can I leave them now?_ Everyone else had made their decision, now it was his turn to make his.

He crumpled up the paper and pushed off for the hatch. "Please, go without me," he told the surprised shuttle officer, and left to rejoin his friends.

_Lt. Colonel- I mean Col. Le Saint Claire… I'll do what I can do, and when I see this to the end, then, I'll move on. No one's going to die after all we've been through! Not on my watch!-!_

**On another of the hangar**

Miyuki Kajiura re-entered the hangar after she had changed to her new ZAFT style crimson pilot suit, using a bulkhead to vault herself toward her new mobile suit's cockpit, silently cursing all the while.

_Rau, you impotent sonovabitch,_ she fumes._ Don't you know when to give up? I swear, if I come across your ship out there, I'll blow it out of orbit!_

Shaking her head in disgust, Miyuki pulls herself into the GAT-X104 Phantom's cockpit, she sincerely hoped this reputed lemon was now truly combat worthy. She would've taken the Strike, but she hasn't rewritten the OS yet. Her Strike Ginn wasn't going to be enough, with Kira now gone.

"Bridge," she keys her radio, "This is Lt. Kajiura. Give me a Sitrep, please. I need to know what's going on out there."

"The ZAFT vessels are entering attack range now, Lieutenant," Natarle told him. "They're deploying mobile suits, eighteen standard Ginns, one modified ginn, Aegis, Buster, Blitz, Duel and seven Cgues. Catalogue match with database update from Menelaos... It's a DEEP Arms, Lieutenant. The same ones we fought during the attack on the advance forces."

"Thirty mobilesuits… in all," Miyuki whispered in disbelief. "Oh Lord… What are the orders from the flagship?"

"We're to stay put," she replies and from her tone, Miyuki suspected she wasn't entirely happy about it. "Apparently, Admiral Halberton doesn't want to risk the Archangel any more than he has to." Another slight hesitation, "I think he intends to sacrifice the Fleet, if that's what it takes."

"That's Lewis Halberton I've heard so much about from Intel," Miyuki replies. "Through and through, his life is expendable, if victory is the result… Any instructions as regards our mobile weapons?"

"We are to remain standby. The Admiral feels that we should avoid launching if it all possible. And for one thing, mobile suit recovery might be difficult under reentry conditions."

She sighed. "Understood, let me know if there are any changes to our orders, Kajiura out."

Miyuki felt deja vu as she sat that there in the cockpit, gritting her teeth. "Not this again…"

**Up in Archangel's Bridge **

_This is costing too much_, Murrue thought bitterly, watching the ZAFT forces -led by the four stolen G-weapons- begin to tear into the Eighth Fleet. One ship and two mobile suits simply cannot be worth the sacrifices we're making. _First Heliopolis, then Artemis, then the advance force... now maybe the entire Eighth Fleet._

"The enemy forces have engaged the fleet's outer perimeter," Natarle said unnecessarily. "Eighth Fleet is deploying mobile armors." She shook her head. "I don't think it'll be enough, Ma'am."

Murrue sighs. "You're probably right, Natarle." _And we're so shorthanded, we may not make it ourselves..._

Almost as if in reaction to her thoughts, the Bridge hatch slid aside, admitting Tolle, Mir, Sai, and Kuzzey, who quickly moved to take their accustomed positions.

"Sorry we're late," Tolle apologized, on the way to the helm. "It won't happen again."

The Captain stared at them. "What are you people doing here? I thought..."

"They formally enlisted earlier today," Natarle informs her. "Captain Hoffman accepted them, and I personally approved it."

"But... why?"

"We still have a job to do, Captain," Mir responds. "We've done our part so far; we can't quit now."

Murrue started to protest, but held her tongue. _These kids,_ she thought, with a mixture of respect, admiration, and shock. _Braver than some soldiers twice their age..._

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Inside the Agamemnon-class Agares within the UN 2nd Orbital fleet**

Antonio enters the locker room and quickly undoes his uniform, switching to his flight suit. The male members of his team plus Amon Rochefort, even Jethro Mills, who was normally the CIC man of the unit, followed behind him, doing the exact same thing. Wynn and Regina were changing in the opposite locker room. No one spoke a word. When Antonio was informed that the OMNI-Enforcer Eighth Orbital Fleet was under attack, his entire team knew exactly what they're going to do. Everyone exited the locker rooms all suited up.

**In the hangar**

As Antonio started checking off his list in the cockpit, Captain Samsonov appears on one of his monitors. "Col. Le Saint Claire…"

"Captain, don't even bother trying to stop me or my men." He continues to get ready, "If you're acting on Lawson's behalf, tell him to write me off for insubordination if he has to. I'm doing this, and nothing's going to stop me. Not even you."

Une nods, smiling to some degree. "I can see that clearly in your eyes, I'll have the men give whatever you need."

Antonio looks up to face her, "Thanks Une."

"Don't mention it… by the way, aside from the ZERO system's CPU, we also have IWS Unit 1 with us."

The colonel raises his eyebrow, "Unit one's here?"

Une smiles clearly this time, "Just call the mechanic in charge."

He did just that and in no time, the IWS/X01 striker pack was being installed after the Sol striker was taken off. Two new smaller shields were placed on the arms, a pair of anti-ship swords on the back, a pair of beam boomerangs on the hip and spears on the side of the hip.

"Chimera Centurion, stand by." The Agares' CIC operator calls, "Good luck sir."

"Thanks," Antonio gets his visor down. He then activates the new MOS:

---

**MOBILE SUIT OPERATION SYSTEM**

**///Version ZERO 1.5α////  
G**eneral  
**U**nilateral  
**N**euro - Link  
**D**ispersive  
**A**utonomic  
**M**aneuver  
-  
**Z**ero-Hour   
**E**valuation  
**R**esponse  
**O**peration

**G.U.N.D.A.M Synthesis/ Z.E.R.O. System**

**VERDANI**

**U. N. Autonomous Armed Forces**

**Project Zero GAT-X013  
CHIMERA**

---

"You're cleared for launch. Go when you're ready, Chimera."

His fingers tightened on the controls. "Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire, Chimera, launching!"

**The same time the Chimera launches**

Captain Anya Une Samsonov confronted the Admiral of the 2nd Fleet, John Lawson. She informed him of Antonio's intentions.

Lawson, a veteran orbital commander from Atlantic Federation, sighs.

"Not surprising… The man's famous for his bull-headedness." He then looks at the ship captain shrewdly, "And I suppose you want to support them…"

She nods, "I'm requesting permission to mobilize my group."

The Admiral doesn't hesitant when he nods, "Granted, and you have permission to take the Laurasia-classes with you."

She salutes her superior, "Thank you, sir."

"And captain," Lawson smiles. "If anyone asks, we were there to protect the Orb civilians. Let the Security Council worry about the paper work."

Une smiles, nodding, "Yes, thank you again sir."

After the comlink was cut, the Agares XO, Richards, looks at his captain with crossed arms. "I suspect you wanted the Tallgeese ready, I had Belmont prep it up."

She nods, "Thank you Richards. Please, take care of things here while I'm away."

Richards nods back, "Will do ma'am."

She then jabs a button on the captain's chair, "Lt. Comm. Halberton, we are to mobilize and support Bravo, pass the order the rest of the group.

"Yes ma'am," He nods more than eagerly. "Ma'am, I'm requesting to deploy my Zero out there."

Une looks at him evenly, "You haven't piloted it for quite a while Lt. Commander. I know your father is the admiral of the Eighth fleet, and I understand your concern… But have thought this through?"

"I'm trying to as controlled as I can be ma'am," the young Halberton finally some strain in his face. "Captain… please."

Samsonov looks at him, she sighs turning to the direction of the bridge elevator. "It's your funeral, Halberton."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back at the Archangel,**

Kira opens the hatch to the locker room and enters swiftly. He was in a hurry, expecting the Archangel to launch its mobile weapons at any moment. He didn't want to be late.

He was just opening the locker containing his flight suit when the hatch opened again behind him. Almost instantly, there was a gasp. "Kira!"

"Huh?" Kira turned just in time for a girl in a pink uniform to slam into him, knocking him into the bulkhead. "Flay? What are you doing here?"

"You... you'd left us," Flay burst out, clutching him. "At least, I thought you had; so there was no one to fly the Strike, so I thought I..."

"Flay, don't be silly," he told her. "Even if you'd had pilot training, a girl like you couldn't possibly pilot a mobile suit, even Lieutenant La Flaga can't keep up with everything that goes on in one."

She nodded, tears collecting in small globes in the air. "I know, but... I had to do something..."

Kira smiled at her. "Well, I didn't leave, so I'll go get back in the Strike's cockpit. I'll fight for both of us." _It's the least I can do, after what happened to the advance force..._

Flay blinked back tears, though inwardly, she was quite, quite pleased, just as pleased as she looked... but for a far different reason. "You will, Kira?"

He nodded, still smiling. "Of course I will. And, uh..." He paused, feeling uncomfortable, something that he'll be feeling for the next few months.

"I've taken what you said to heart," he said at last. "I can't just run away anymore; this war will continue unless someone does something about it... and like Lieutenant La Flaga said, I have the power to make a difference. It's just the way it is, so I'll do my best until we end this war."

_Perfect..._ Flay thought. She hugged him tighter, then looked right into Kira's eyes. "Well, then, let me say this: I'll protect_ you..."_

Before he could say another word, she kissed him, and suddenly Kira had something besides the battle to think about.

**Back on the Bridge, **

Ramius watches grimly as the battle proceeded, and thought perhaps the Admiral had been wrong to keep the Archangel out of the fight.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her com chimed.

"Hey!" La Flaga said, when she answered. "Why we still on standby? Those four machines are at it again! The Eighth Fleet is in deep trouble."

"Lieutenant La Flaga..."

"It's not as if my mobile armor alone will make much difference," he continued, "but still!"

"Our ship hasn't been ordered to join in yet," Ramius told him. "Please remain on standby."

"But that's-"

Ramius hung up, and turned to Kuzzey, at Communications. "Connect me to the Menelaos," she ordered.

A moment later, Halberton appeared on the monitor. "What do you want?"

"We wish to move away from the Fleet," she said. "It's imperative that we begin our descent sequence _now_, Admiral. Please authorize it."

"You can't be serious! Are you people trying to flee this battle to save yourselves?"

"This ship is the enemy's target," Ramius said stubbornly. "We must move away from _you_! Or else the whole fleet will be destroyed." She continued doggedly, "Alaska is out of the question, but from here we can still reach Earth Forces territory. We can shake off the ginns and ZAFT vessels at the Earth's atmospheric interface. Admiral!"

Halberton paused for a long moment, watching as another of his ships was blown away before his eyes. Finally, he looked back at Ramius and smiled.

"Murrue Ramius, you haven't changed a bit. Still reckless as ever, just like Antonio when he went under me. You two would've made a fine pair!"

She sighed in relief, as her XO winces at the remark. "As you well know, a subordinate learns from her superior."

"All right, then. Begin preparations for the Archangel's descent now. We'll cover you up to the entry interface." He smiled. "We'll make sure not one single enemy gets past us."

**Down in the hangar**

"All hands, prepare for atmospheric entry interface."

Down in the hanger, La Flaga shook his head when the intercom sounded. "Descending? In the situation we're in?"

"What good's it gonna do you to yell at me?" Murdoch questioned. "But I guess it's better than sittin' around not doing anything."

"Yeah, well, you can understand-"

"Even if we shake off the ZAFT ships and ginns, there's still those four machines," Kira said, floating past.

"Hey, kid!" Murdoch said in surprise.

Even more surprising, Kira was smiling. He never looked that cheerful before going into battle. "I'll stand by in the Strike. Still at Level One Battle stations, right?"

"I thought he got off this ship," the Chief murmurs to La Flaga.

"He's still at such a young age, and already he's seen his share of wars and battlefields," the pilot replies. "It's gonna make his life tough."

Inside the Strike, Kira straps himself in, and keys a radio link with the Phantom, one of the mechanics told of Miyuki's switch.

"Miyuki-sama," he calls. "You ready?"

Miyuki's face appeared on the screen. "K- Kira? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you left!"

"Couldn't just leave you guys behind, could I?"

She was surprised by that rather laid-back response, smiling somewhat to it. _That sounded almost like one of Ton-ton's lines._..

"I see… Okay, right now we're on stand by, but that'll change soon enough."

Kira nods, "So what are we up against, exactly?"

"Two Laurasias and four Nazcas_,"_ Miyuki answered. "Also, nineteen Ginns, Seven DEEP Arms and the four captured G-weapons, thirty in all. Fortunately, we have an entire fleet to keep them busy this time." Something in the corner of her eye glimmered, simultaneous with a flash on his display. "Scratch that, we had an entire fleet. We just lost another ship."

"We can't keep this up, the fleet will be wiped out at this rate." Kira glances at another monitor. "Lt. La Flaga?"

Mu nods grimly. "Yeah, I know." He keyed his own link with the Bridge. "Captain, the Eighth Fleet is getting slaughtered out there! We can't just sit by any longer, we have to do something."

Murrue shook her head. "I understand what you're saying, Lieutenant, but if we launch now, it will be very difficult to retrieve mobile weapons-"

"According to the manuals," Kira interrupts, "both the Strike and the…" he quickly checks the name of the suit, "Phantom are capable of reentering the atmosphere on there own, so that's not a factor."

She stared at him. "Kira? Wha-? But... you left with the shuttle..."

"That's not important right now, Sempai," Miyuki interrupts her. "What matters is that they're right, we need to be out there, and these two machines can survive reentry if they have to. Come on, Sempai!"

Murrue hesitated, unable to decide what to do. "But..."

"That, is it!" Miyuki snaps, losing her patience. "Captain, you better authorize us a launch in the next ten seconds, or I'm going test out the Scylla of this suit on the Archangel's hangar door!"

Murrue's gaze swings to her,"Lt. Kajiura-!" She snaps, angrily.

"We can talk after we get through this," she said plainly. "Ens. Badgiruel, have Crewman Haw set us up for launch."

Natarle nods, "All right, then. But return before we reach Phase Three," she adds sternly to Kira. "The specs may say it's possible, but it hasn't actually been tested outside the labs. We don't know what'll happen to the Strike's interior. Keep a constant eye on the altitude and time."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Ramius looks down at her XO in anger. "Ensign Badgiruel!"

"If this ship is destroyed," the Ensign hotly replies, "then the sacrifices of the Eighth Fleet will have been in vain!"

She glared at her superior, and Ramius returned it in full.

"Strike to starboard catapult, Zero to port," Mir calls the pilots. "Phantom, prepare to follow the Zero."

As the preparations got underway, Mu whistles to himself. "You know, Yuki, you may have just bought yourself some trouble, you know."

"Too bad," Miyuki said pithily. "If they're gonna recruit someone like me, the least people can do is listen."

Mu shrugs, "Your funeral. I guess…"

"By the way," He then goes to say. "Between those two… whose side are you really on?"

Miyuki thought for moment, then smirks, "My side."

**The three pilots ready themselves for launch.**

"Here we go," Kira whispers to himself, gripping his controls a little tighter.

"Be careful," Mu advised. "Even I've never flown a sortie in a situation like this. What about you, Yuki?" he asked his wing woman as he called her.

"Several. Best advice I tell you is, when you feel that your controls are getting a little sluggish, that means you're in too deep. Pull out of there ASAP or you'll end up a falling star."

"Strike," Mir called from the Bridge, "You're cleared to launch."

"Roger that." Kira took a deep breath. "Kira Yamato, launching!"

As the Strike hurtles out into space, Mu hit the appropriate switches on his controls. "Stay cool, Sword, and good luck," he called. "Hawk of Endymion, launching!"

Phantom quickly took the Zero's place. "Need any requests this time out, Commander?" Murdoch asked.

"Hmm… Chief, get me Chaya and Be-day. And also the spare Sidapa, remember, I'm supposed to be Morrigan Legna."

"Got it, Lieutenant."

As soon as the weapons were fitted into place, Mir's image appears.

"You're cleared to launch, Lieutenant," Mir informed them. "Good luck."

"Roger that." Miyuki slid her visor down. "Ultimate Shield, Phantom launching."

**Outside, **

Only minutes ago, the opposing forces had been more or less ignoring them. Now, they had at least one ginn singling the Archangel out for its undivided attention. Miyuki activates the Phantom's Mirage Colloid. The ginn positions itself for a direct attack on the ship. At the same instant, as the enemy machine began to raise its weapon, a piece of metal bursts out through its chest. The ginn paralyzed, before the katana Chaya ripped out one side. The mobilesuit that disabled it then appears.

After it deactivates Mirage Colloid, its phase shift armor activates for the first time. The unit's color scheme was similar to that of the Strike. Except what was blue on the Strike was black on the Phantom along with hip and shoulder armor plating, along with sections of the leg and forearm.

"Not on my watch," Miyuki murmurs as the Phantom twirls the Chaya and Be-day.

She looks on both sides of her suit as the Zero and Strike flanks the Phantom. "Okay, boys… We'll have to hold the line. We don't have Bravo with us this time, but we only need five minutes. After that, pull out, get back to the Archangel."

"Right," Both pilots reply.

Miyuki jabs the radio, "Bridge, has anyone broken through?"

"Ma'am," Mir responds. "So far, we only have deal with the Duel, Blitz, Aegis, Buster and a DEEP Arms… But the Eighth fleet can't hold the other mobilesuits forever…"

"Thanks, bridge. That'll do." She turns her attention back to her wingmen, "Okay, Mu, Kira, you two hang back, I'll try and draw some of their attention. Don't engage unless they're targeting you or the Archangel. Remember, we only need to delay them."

Kira bit his lip when he heard this, "Kajiura-sama… are you sure that's a good idea?"

Miyuki looks at the Strike, offended. "What? You don't think I can handle it?"

The coordinator got a little hesitant at the sound of her voice, "No… it's like that… but they're six machines out there…"

Mu shook his head and smirks, "Kira, you're obviously not giving Miyuki Kajiura- the Ultimate Shield, aka Morrigan Legna- Death's Favorite Daughter, enough credit. She can handle it, trust me. I've seen do her black magic in Yggdrasil."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mu." She turns her attention back to Kira. "Don't worry about me Kira, I've been piloting a mobilesuit since the Proto-Ginn rolled out of the factory."

"In fact…" The GAT-X104 Phantom draws out a Sidapa, activating it. Miyuki then has the machine twirl it while she was still holding Chaya. "I bet I can teach these wet-behind-the-ears greenhorns a thing or three."

Before Kira said anything else, the Phantom boosts off.

**Miyuki's eyes harden as she moves in headlong into battle. **

_One against thirty,_ She thought as she closes in._ I'm out of my mind... and I'm also the only one between Le Creuset and the Archangel. Besides Kira and Mu that is…_

She made a good start, that ginn never knew what hit him or did the other two that followed which she had dispatched with equal ease. However, they now know something was out here... odds were, a G-weapon would be coming her way. She slips the voice distorter into her mouth, she had a feeling she'll need it.

Athrun Zala had just noticed the new unit as it took the two ginns, and decided to check it out himself. _What _is_ that thing?_ He wonders, moving towards it. _Whoever he is, he's good. But I've never seen that machine before..._

As he drew closer, his mouth tightened. It was clearly based on a G-unit's fuselage... and he knew only one pilot who flew close combat maneuvers like that and the beam scythe was a strong hint.

"Commander Legna..." Athrun whispers. Legna had been his instructor during his time in the academy, despite her very intimidating demeanor and outlook, he found her to be very thoughtful to her students.

The Phantom turns as the Aegis approaches. "So there you are, Athrun," Morrigan Legna said calmly. "I was wondering if I'd have to face you today." She took a moment to sheathe her katana, Chaya, since it was useless against Aegis' Phase-shift. "I suppose we must fight?"

"It doesn't have to be this way," Athrun replies, nonetheless holding his beam rifle at the ready. "Come on, Commander. You know we don't have to be on opposite sides."

"First Athrun," the former Sword said softly, grasping her beam boomerang. "I'm not an officer anymore. And second, I'm a deserter, I can never go back."

"But you're a Coordinator!" Her old student protested. "Why fight against your own people?"

"He who chooses his allegiances based on one's race is a fool," Legna answers coldly. "And as you well know, I was born in the Equatorial Union and I grew up in Orb, if I was to give my allegiance to anyone now, it would be to my first two homes." The Phantom raises the arm with the boomerang.

"But right now, my only true allegiance is to the men and women on that ship!" she roars. "People I can trust! You used to be one of them, Athrun. Now you're now nothing more than a pawn like I was!"

"What are you saying?" Athrun demanded.

"Enough talk, Zala," Legna said harshly. "You want the Archangel? You'll have to get through me first. Let's talk with our swords!"

Athrun's eyes went wide as the boomerang flew out of Phantom's hand, he barely manages to raise his shield in time.

He cut off his own thoughts, even as he began maneuvering to counterattack. It was clear by now that the Morrigan Legna he knew was long gone, replaced by a calculating soldier who cared only about getting the job done.

Despite his reluctance, Athrun Zala, pilot of the GAT-X303 Aegis, returns fire against a person he once respected so much.

"Show me how much you've improved!" The Phantom raises its Trikeros as she goes after the Aegis with almost fanatical fervor. Inside the Phantom, Miyuki bit her lip, remembering the young man who was so much like his once father was. _Athrun… Patrick… I'm sorry._

"Tell me something, Zala," Legna began, fainting left to dodge a shot from Aegis' Scylla, "Why do you think I'd leave my friends and go back to ZAFT?"

"Because it's where you belong," Athrun replies, wincing when he saw the Phantom lower its beam rifle, and once again pull out the Sidapa. "You're a Coordinator, just like us-"

"So I should betray those who trust me with their lives, because their genes are different?" Legna's teeth were gritted tightly as she swept down with her Sidapa in kama form, in that moment.

"That's idiotic. And let me tell you something else," she adds, sweeping aside one of the Aegis' blades, "Before I came aboard the Archangel, a young man named Kira Yamato was revealed to be a Coordinator, four soldiers immediately aimed their weapons on him. But a good friend of his –who happens to be a Natural– stepped between Kira and their guns. Is that the mark of someone who hates Coordinators? I don't think so."

_Kira…_

"But still-"

Another slash from the Sidapa cuts Athrun off, forcing him to raise his shield. "And there's something else," Legna continues, voice rising. "You're asking me to basically close my eyes and kill people who trust me! I already did that once, and I will never do it again! NEVER!"

Athrun was now getting nervous. The only time Morrigan Legna shouted at all, much less in battle, was when her awesome self-control cracked. In the current situation, that could well mean someone's death sentence, his. She wasn't called Death's favorite daughter for nothing.

"So what should I do?" he demanded. "Give up on talking, and kill you instead?"

"You're half-right," Legna replies coldly. "You give up on talking... but if you think you can kill me, you're out of your mind."

_You're right Athrun, this isn't how it should be,_ Miyuki thought distantly, trading blows with the Aegis. She and Athrun appeared more or less equally matched.

_But life's not an idealist's fairy tale._

Despite engaging the Aegis, Miyuki quickly spots the Duel, the Buster, the Blitz, and a DEEP Arms. The Blitz and the DEEP Arms broke off.

"Athrun!" The Blitz fires it's Trikeros' beam rifle.

"Die!" Aiman aims the two cannons at the unknown suit, which dodges the shot easily.

"Watch yourselves!" Athrun warns them, "The pilot of the suit is Legna!"

"So," Miguel sneers. "The other traitor's in there huh? You'll be just as good as killing Aelia!"

"Bring it on, Aiman!" Legna taunts as the chest of the Phantom opens, the opening glows before launching gigantic beam blast. The two mobilesuits break formation the large discharge goes at them, of the Blitz and DEEP Arms fire back. The Phantom merge the Sidapa spins it rapidly, deflecting their shots.

Miyuki eyes the Duel and Buster as they seem to ignoring her and heading to the Archangel, she gives chase, the Aegis, DEEP Arms and Blitz behind her.

"My, my…" Miyuki patches a link on the ZAFT frequencies, as she got the image of the Duel Assault shroud, "You upgraded the Duel with some additional armor and weapons. You've made up for your lack of heavy fire power."

The Phantom makes it in front of the Duel and Buster, she fires the Scylla again. "However, you do realize that will make you more susceptible to Earth's gravity well?"

"Out of the way Legna," Yzak growls menacingly. "What I want is the Strike! You're not my concern!"

"Tough," The Phantom then charges the Duel with it's Sidapa, the Duel pulls out its saber just time. They clash together hard.

"Damn you Legna! Have you joined the Earth Alliance?-!" Yzak yells, as the two machine's faces were right in front of each other.

"Perhaps…" Legna nonchalantly replies, as the two machines broke their engagement, with the Scylla opening up and its red and white beam shoots forward, missing the Duel completely and hitting a hapless ginn that just came into battle. The Duel dodges an attack from a Moebius unit, which attempted to strafe him. However, the Duel fires its five missile pod from the Assault Shroud. One missile kills the Moebius and a Drake Class ship was hit hard by the other four.

"Die Legna!" Dearka snaps his two rifles together and fire the 350mm. shotgun.

"Sorry," Legna again twirls her beam scythe as strafes out of the way. "I can't do that right now, I'm afraid."

She raises her Trikeros and fires the "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchor at him, it hits its intended target, the cockpit area. It didn't penetrate it thanks to the PS armor, but rattled the Buster's pilot severely.

"Come, come now." Legna taunts the five suits as they all regrouped, "Don't tell me that's all what the Le Creuset team has to offer me. Where's Rusty anyway? At least he'll be a challenge!"

"That tears it!" Miguel growls, pulling out his beam blade. "It's about time somebody died around here!"

"I'll beat you first," Yzak hisses. "Then, I'll destroy the Strike!

"We'll show you, Legna!" Dearka yells.

"Guys," Athrun yells futilely as his shorter tempered teammates went at her. "She's trying to distract you! Don't listen to her!"

"Athrun," Nicol radios to him, "Let's go help them out."

The Aegis pilot nods, "Right."

However, two other pilots from Archangel had other plans. Out of no where, the Mobile Zero appears from above, firing its beam gunbarrels.

"C'mon!" Mu goes after them, forces them to disperse.

Meanwhile, the Strike comes to the side of the Phantom. "Kajiura-sama! Are you alright?-!"

"Kira?-! What the hell are you and Mu doing?-!" She scolds him. "Didn't tell you two hang back?-!"

"The captain ordered us to go help you," Kira then smirks. "She said that she'd be damned if she lets you die now."

Miyuki frowns, suspecting the Murrue was still a little sore over the little incident before the launched.

"Kira, cover the Duel, watch it though. It's upgraded with a modified Assault Shroud, it's got a railgun and a missile pod now. It's also got some armor plating, so tagging it with the CIWs to deplete the batteries' not going to be as effective. And by the way, from how he greeted me a while ago, I think he's real PO'd on you right now."

Kira nods, even though he wasn't looking forward for it. "Right."

**"There you are," **

Yzak smiles darkly. "I've been waiting for you, Strike; it's about time you finally showed yourself. This time, you're going down!"

There was no further overture, this time. Both pilots instantly exchanged shots, going straight for the kill.

Kira cursed, ducking a railgun shot, and boosted around to the side of a wrecked Drake-class, using it for cover.

Yzak smirked. "You think that'll help you, Strike? Think again!" He triggered a barrage of missiles, annihilating the wreckage and leaving the Strike exposed once again. "You're not getting away that easy!"

_The rifle isn't going to do much good this time_, Kira thought. _We both have shields, and we know how to use them. I'll have a better chance with the saber_.

Acting on that decision, he set aside his rifle, and drew one of his beamsabers. "I went through too much to be defeated here!"

"Two can play at that game," Yzak mutters. He puts away his rifle, and fires up a saber. "You're dead, Strike!"

Strike's saber swung down, to be parried by Duel's weapon. "Just get out of the way, Duel!"

Kira's sheer skill was matched by Yzak's one advantage, his experience. Having actually been in trained mobile suit combat, he was able to keep up with the flurry of strikes, though just barely. "A Natural can't hope to defeat me!"

_Just a few more minutes..._ Kira thought, deflecting another of the Duel's powerful blows. _Then Archangel will be out of their range, and we can relax..._

"**Athrun!" **

Nicol yells as the Blitz dodges the Zero's beam gunbarrel fire, "I'll keep this guy busy, go help Dearka and Miguel!"

"Nicol…" Athrun reluctantly nods. "Okay, but don't yourself killed!"

The Aegis boosts toward the skirmish that was being fought by the Buster, Miguel's DEEP Arms and Legna's new machine.

Legna, despite the odds, was almost unsurprisingly besting her opponents as she continues to sling insult after insult through the airwaves. She went as far insulting their parents.

"Why don't you just shut up?-!" Miguel hopelessly angry, tries to attack the Phantom with his beam sword.

"Miguel!" Athrun tries to fire his beamrifle to throw off Legna's rhythm, he misses. The Phantom faints back to dodge the swing, she counters by swinging the Sidapa, locking the beam sword between the two blades, then wrenching out of the DEEP Arms' hands.

"Your timing's off," Legna cuts the DEEP Arms' arms.

"Argh...!" He scowls, irritated that he'd been completely disarmed. "Not again!"

"You're not getting away with that, Legna!" Dearka was about to fire the 94mm hyper-impulse sniper rifle. However, he gets struck from the side.

"Passing through!" Mu calls Miyuki as he wiz by shooting parallel to the Blitz, the Buster chases after.

"Thanks Mu!" Miyuki turns back to her opponent find the Aegis, "You have tenacity, Athrun. I'll give you that."

"Commander Legna, if you refuse to surrender…" Athrun stows away his rifle and pulls out two of his four beam sabers. "I'll have to take you down."

The Phantom twirls the Sidapa, "You're welcome to try."

"Don't be so selfish, Athrun," a voice said through his radio, it was Rusty Mackenzie.

Miyuki looks in her sensors, then turns to the indicated direction, as two DEEP Arms go to the side of the Aegis. Miyuki quickly recognizes one of the DEEP Arms.

"Shino…"

"Athrun Zala," Shino began. "I'll handle this, please join Rusty and withdraw."

Surprised by this, Athrun looks at Shino's suit incredulously, "What are you-?"

"Our sensors have detected a large fleet coming from our flank, Commander Le Creuset is ordering half of the force to cover the flanks."

"What?-!" The Aegis pilot's eyes widen.

"Athrun, let's go," Rusty calls. "This is a Sword matter now, just let it go."

"Alright," Athrun finally answers reluctantly after a brief pause. "Let's go."

**Once again, Shino Hahnenfuss and Miyuki Kajiura stood in opposite sides of the battlefield.**

Both former elite pilots' suits remained still in space, seemingly sizing up the other.

Suddenly, voice broke into Miyuki's radio. "Miyuki." Hahnenfuss began, "Let's settle this."

Miyuki takes off the distorter.

"Alright," Miyuki said, eyes closed. "Let's go

Miyuki starts the duel with a shot from her Trikeros' beam rifle.

Shino had been expecting the attack, and drops down. Her DEEP Arms was more than up to the task.

"That the best you can do?" he mocked, drawing his beam sword. "If that is it, you won't survive this."

"For the first question, hardly." Miyuki deployed the Scylla, using his targeting scope to aim. "Second, I cannot die, not while GENESIS is still around. And if I have to go through you and every one else in ZAFT to stop it... so be it. I won't let this war go that far, not while I'm still breathing"

"Pretty words," Shino comments. "Can you back them up?"

The Sidapa went back into storage under the Trikeros, and Miyuki draws out Chaya and Be-day. "Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me?"

"As Lord Wellington said, 'the only certainty in battle is you can't be certain at all'," her protégé replies. "Let's end this."

Shiho assumes a sword stance, but it wasn't her usual one. She was using a form used in Iaido, holding the sword as though it was in a scabbard. Miyuki understands what she wanted, she crosses the Phantom's arms.

Though the battle raged around them, the two held still, not moving an inch. Their battle was to be decided by one attack, one swift cut. The two focused all their attention at each other, not bothering on defense, focusing what they got on one final blow.

A force of over a dozen warships and at least fifty mobile armors, beaten by four Nazca-classes, two Laurasia-classes, eighteen Ginns, seven Cgue variants and four G-weapons.

To a casual observer, the impending destruction of the Eighth Fleet would come as a shock. But Miyuki knew all too well the relative strengths and weaknesses of the ships. And after that battle, whenever she hears someone suggest that the fleet's destruction was due to unprepared crews or the incompetence of Admiral Lewis Halberton. She would explain in great detail that the ZAFT forces simply had a large qualitative and technological edge.

After a long pause, Miyuki and Shino move, the mobilesuit simultaneously charge at each other as the swung their blades.

In one flash, it was over.

**Meanwhile**

The Gamow was edging ahead of her fellows, altering her course to head straight for the Menelaos.

"Gamow, you're out too far!" Ades called from the Vesalius. "Just what are you doing, Zelman?"

"We've cornered them," Zelman replied defiantly. "We can't let up now; that's Halberton's flagship. He's the one who started all this, and today we'll see the end of him and the legged ship!"

"You'll never make it!" Ades protested. "Even if that Agamemnon doesn't get you, you'll never be able to pull out of the gravity well!"

"We know, Captain Ades. And it's a price we're willing to pay."

Zelman's image vanished, and Ades slowly shook his head. "Zelman's a brave man... Pity it's getting him killed."

"Yes..." Le Creuset agreed quietly. "No doubt if the attack succeeds, he'll get the Order of the Nebula... posthumously."

**Mu saw the danger. **

"Not if I can help it," he whispered, and breaks off his attack on the Buster to strafe the Laurasia-class.

Unfortunately, under the circumstances his mobile armor's firepower -beam weapons or not- was insignificant, the ship was on a suicide run.

"That's Zelman, isn't it?" Miyuki comments to Shino. "He's always been that gutsy bastard. Sadly, they won't survive this."

"He is," Shino nods inside her DEEP Arms, which was now missing an arm and leg, Miyuki had won the duel. "They might get the escape pods out. But I doubt it"

"That they might," Miyuki looks over to her old comrade. "Shino… thank you, thank you for forgiving me."

Shino nods smiling, "It's my turn to protect you, Commander."

Within that moment, the Gamow and Menelaos were about to make impact, as well as meeting a fiery ending in Earth's gravity. No one noticed the shuttle of civilians that had made it off.

**On Archangel's Bridge,**

Ramius silently wept. _Admiral..._

Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton had been her mentor throughout her career, had been the man behind the project which had produced the ship she now commanded... and now he was about to join Dmitri and Darren.

**On that same moment, **

Halberton was bracing himself for the end. The Laurasia class was still coming they about to enter the atmosphere. _Antonio… Murrue… I was hoping to live long enough see your careers truly blossom… Well, sella vi, I guess._

Out of the blue, a mobilesuit slowly appears between the two ships, coming out of Mirage Colloid. In the Gamow, Zelman's eyes widen as he sees the Chimera merge its two beam rifles together, aiming it straight at them.

"Sorry," Antonio took a deep breath. "But I'm not losing another friend."

He pulls the trigger, the resulting blast cuts right through the Gamow, from bow to stern, impaling the ship in a pillar of lethal light. The Chimera then splits the rifles suddenly, the beam splits, cutting the ship on both sides. The Gamow then explodes.

"Damn you…" were Zelman last words before the blast claims him.

**At the same time, **

His team's mobilesuits were linking security lines on sides of the Menelaus and began pulling. The Chimera and its brother, Siginarugan flew above it, to cover them.

Halberton patches a link to the Chimera, "You're a sight for sore eyes, Spartan."

"It's way too early to thank me, Lewis." Antonio replies. "We still ain't out of the woods yet. Get to your lifepods!"

"No can do Le Saint Claire," Halberton responds. "I can't."

"Lewis, the Archangel's about to descend, they can't touch it." Antonio gritted his teeth, "Now stop being such a stubborn ass and abandon ship!"

"I'm sorry Antonio, I can't." The Admiral said stubbornly, "Not with my men on the other ships still fighting. Hoffman and the others here can agree with me."

Antonio grits his teeth in annoyance, "You're still that stubborn jackass I see… Fine, I'll see what I can do." He breaks the link.

"Verdani," Antonio calls to the systems. "What do we got?"

"According to the surviving Eighth Fleet ships' systems," Verdani had hacked into the Eighth fleet's communication lines. "Hostile mobile units are currently: eleven standard ginns, two customized ginns –one high maneuver variant –one beam weapons modified, six DEEP Arms type Cgues, Duel, Buster, Blitz and Aegis."

"Crap…" Antonio curses under his breath, "That's a lot…How long until the Agares Group arrives?"

"Estimated time, three minutes."

Antonio sighs, exasperated. "Great…"

"Colonel." Verdani cuts in, "Hostile mobile units approaching, three ginns."

"Right," Antonio mutters, he then punches the radio, making a link to his men. "Hey guys, here's are situation. –Courtesy of Lewis Halberton…"

"You've got be kidding me," Regina frowns, after hearing Antonio's report. "Is he serious?"

"Oh he's serious alright," Antonio grumbles.

"There's just too few of us right now too lift the ship up." Wynn says as she fights off a ginn whilst keeping the Menelaos from descending, "What would we give to have an attachable ship thruster right about now."

Her comment gave Antonio an idea as he was happening to staring at him beamrifle, "I might just have one…"

"Mike!" He barks suddenly, "Hold the fort for me, I think I got something to move this thing."

Michael raises an eyebrow, "Ant… What are you up to?"

"Getting the Menelaos out of the Earth's pull or blowing myself up in the attempt. It's going to be one or the other."

"…right…"

"**Antonio," **

Halberton notices that the Chimera was going under the ship. "What in hell are doing?"

"Getting you about of this sticky situation," Antonio replies. "Either that, or we're both dead."

He has the Chimera propped up against the bottom of the ship, he places the two Bathala beam rifles in front of him, merged into its 350mm. version.

"Okay," He then calls to the Menelaos and his team. "Here's what I want you guys to do…"

"Are you crazy sir?-!" Luke yells, "You do realize you might short out or blow yourself up with that?!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Lawman. Remember, on the count of three, all of you activate your thrusters, is that clear?"

Hearing the determination in his voice, everyone reluctantly agrees.

"I sincerely hope you know you're doing…" Halberton mutters.

"Me too," Antonio replies. "Lewis, if this falls short, get to the lifepods. Please."

"… Alright."

Antonio takes a deep breath before he begins, "Verdani, disable the safeguards on the rifles."

"Are you sure sir?"

"Yes, now do it."

Several moments later, Verdani answers. "Bathala rifle energy cap safeguards disabled sir."

Upon hearing that report, Antonio barks to his radio. "One…! Two…! Three!"

Antonio fires his beamrifle, the discharge was large and powerful, the pillar of light was visible from the ground for miles. At the same time, Regina, Wynn, Luke, Frank, Daniel, Jethro and Amon all have their mobilesuit's thrusters into full. Normally, this would have ripped the sides of the Menelaos since there were no supporting lines in the middle of the Agamemnon-class. But the discharge from the rifles was actually supporting the center, distributing the weight and made lifting the ship easier.

**After several meters,**

The Menelaos was finally able to move on its own accord. The Bravo team then breaks off their support lines.

"Looks like I owe again, Ant." Halberton calls after the Menelaos was moving again.

"Buy me a beer and I'll call it even," he said before signing off from the Earth Forces frequency. He then goes back to his team. "Okay guys, hold the line and support what's left of the fleet!"

"You need some additional support, Colonel?" A voice calls into his radio.

Antonio turns to his com monitor, "Well, looks like you still miss the life on field, don't you Une?"

The Tallgeese flew beside the Chimera, "What can I say? I prefer to do things hands on."

The colonel looks over the units she brought along with her, there were twelve Ginns, seven Leos and a Moebius Zero.

"Hey Stevie, you in that Zero?"

"Yes sir," The young Halberton replies. "I don't have to really explain why right?"

"Duh," Antonio smirks. "The old fossil, what else?"

After Steve moves out, Antonio turns back to his men. "Okay, change of plans. Une, take over, guard what's left – weapons free. Team, secure the area!"

"And the Archangel, not mention those Orb civvies." Michael adds with a smirk.

"Yes sir!"

**Archangel's Bridge **

"Admiral," Murrue sinks into her chair, relieved for first time throughout the battle.

On the screen, the Agamemnon-class flagship of the Earth Alliance Forces Eighth Fleet and the surviving fleet was now protected by a line UN mobilesuits, more were coming in from a general direction.

Just then, the Chimera flies past the bridge's window, making a wave.

_Antonio..._ Murrue quickly wipes her tears, as she stood up to salute.

Natarle likewise salutes the mobilesuit. _That was cutting to close, Antonio. But still, a hell of a job well done, Spartan._

"Two minutes to atmospheric reentry!" Neumann called out. "We're almost at Phase Three!"

Mir didn't wait for orders, she already knew what they would be. "All units, return to the ship at once! Repeat, Strike, Phantom, Zero, return to the Archangel immediately! We're beginning reentry in under two minutes!"

"**I'll a little busy at the moment…"**

Mu mutters at continues to duel with the Buster and Blitz.

"Hey Hawk," Miyuki calls as she joins in the fray. "Need a hand?"

"I could sure use one," he replies, dodging another blast from the Buster. "The Archangel isn't exactly gonna wait for us."

"Okay," The Phantom goes at the heavy support G-unit with its Trikeros fire at it.

The Buster turns it attention, merging its weapon to become the 350mm. anti-armor shotgun. But become Dearka could use it, the "Panzer Eisen" rocket anchor latches to it and ripped the weapon out of his hand. Before he could even react, the Phantom splits it and fires both weapons, hitting both his missile pods. If that wasn't enough, when he tries to retreat, trying to boost himself to direction of the Vesalius, he controls weren't responding. The impact of his own weapons had pushed him deep into the atmosphere

"No!" Dearka yells. "I can't break free!"

As he involuntarily descended, he sincerely hoped the G-weapons were as durable as they were supposed to be.

Meanwhile, Mu was still exchanging fire with the Blitz, but for much longer. Miyuki, merges the Buster's weapons together again forming the 94mm. sniper rifle. She aims and fires, clocking the Blitz on its back. Nicol yells as his unit spirals uncontrollably towards earth.

"That's that," Miyuki calls "Now let's head back!"

Both pilots just barely made it.

**Kira was about guide Strike to the Archangel,**

When he sees the outer hull was glossy as ablative gel was discharged to cover it.

_At least they're safe,_ one part of him thought, while the other… let's just it's not a happy camper._ Of course, now I'm gonna have to see if the specs are right about reentry... after I get the Duel to go away._

Despite that inconvenience, he was committed to reentry.

Yzak, however, refuses to break off his attack. If anything, the unyielding grasp of gravity made him even angry. "This is all your fault, Strike!" he shouted. "First you humiliate me, scar me, and now you force me to land on a planet full of Naturals!"

Their blades crossed, but Kira wasn't in the mood to continue. "Just back off!"

After using his shield to repel the Duel's saber, he smashes it into the ZAFT machine. "I don't have time for you!" He followed up with a kick to the head, and used the equal -and opposite- reaction to give himself space away from the persistent G-unit.

Yzak snarls in rage as the Strike flew away from him, but he wasn't done yet. "You're finished!" he aims his beam rifle one more time. His targeting scanner extended before his eyes, and he waited patiently for the targeting circles to join together in a perfect lock.

"Oh, no," Kira whispered; he was not overly concerned, given the distance, but he wished the Duel's pilot would just admit defeat and leave him alone. "Why do you keep fighting...?" He waited for the green darts of death to arc across the ever-thickening atmosphere toward him, preparing to block... and things got suddenly, immeasurably worse.

The shuttle from the Menelaos the one with the refugees Kira had fought so hard and long to protect, got between Yzak Joule and his target.

Instantly, Kira boosted toward it, trying to get out from its shadow before the Duel fired. _No! It can't happen! Not like this... Not after we've done!_

Yzak saw the shuttle, but he couldn't care less. _Must be some Natural soldiers turning cowards and running away,_ he thought scornfully. _Well, that shuttle isn't enough of an obstacle to stop the beam from reaching the Strike._

He pulls the trigger.

However, the rifle never fired, as it vanished in a pillar of energy, as the Une's Tallgeese came down with a gunlauncher under one arm, and the Sleipnir anti ship rapier in the other.

"That is, ENOUGH!-!" Une roars, as the beam melts away the Duel's rifle, as the rapier, came crashing down, impaling the railgun. Une lets go of the gunlauncher and jams something into the Duel's chest, an MB2 explosive device, used traditionally against fortress and ship walls. The explosive was more than enough to propel the Duel to opposite direction.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Yzak yells, as the blast knocks him further down, causing his mobile suit to head towards the Planet.

"Une!" Antonio and Michael both yell. The Siginarugan fires its grappling hook, while Chimera fired the heat wire. The Tallgeese sheathes its sword as it catches both.

"May God, have pity on your soul," Une whispers coldly, as the Duel plummeted down to earth. She was sure the pilot would be dead.

Kira's eyes were wide as he watched the Tallgeese, not even having PSA to protect itself went into the fray to protect the ship of fleeing civilians. He didn't know that Anya Samsonov, the Spartan of Heaven, was the pilot, but he felt whoever was in there was a Spartan.  
_"We made it,"_ he cried, happy that the battle was finally over for him, the Archangel and Orb civilians as fell toward Earth.

_Spartans, they're something else…_

**Battle wasn't over quite yet for the UNAAF,**

Seeing that their objective, destroying the Archangel, was now unachievable, the surviving ZAFT pilots begin attacking the UN forces, in an attempt to avenge the Gamow and their fallen comrades.

"UN bastards!" A ginn charges toward the three Spartan Eternals with its machine gun. Une draws the Sleipnir once more, side stepping a ginn as he attacks with his heavy sword, thrusting the weapon through the chest where the battery was.

Antonio fire the rocket anchor again, catching one ginn in the arm, he swings the ginn toward the Siginarugan. As Michael draws out the Sidapa, with two swings he cuts the ginn's head, arms and legs.

Meanwhile, Lt. Com. Steven Halberton charges toward the Zeigler. Two ginns attempted to intercept him but were quickly outgunned. The young Halberton had been in the same mobile armor as Mu. And like Mu, he had superb control over it. He takes out one ginn by concentrating the fire gunbarrels. The other manages to get in close and fires several shots at the mainbody, but Steve quickly manipulates

"YEEHAW!" Steven "The Coyote" Halberton howls as strafes the Zeigler, proverbially filling the thing full of lead. He cockily makes a barrel roll with his gunbarrels still out before returning to the remains of the Eighth Fleet.

As that was going on, Regina fights with someone she hasn't met since Heliopolis. They didn't recognize each other until the fought a bit. It doesn't long before they recognize each other's moves.

"Well, well." Regina switches to ZAFT frequency, "That you Wild Thunder?"

"Hey, if it isn't the Feddy," Visch replies, "Wanna have another go?" He asks as he pulls out his beam sword, twirling it.

_And I thought I won't have a good fight, _he thought. He and the other Swords had been ordered to stay behind to cover the ship, which is why they haven't really been involved in the battle until now.

Wyvern One pulls out one of its beam sabers, "I though you'll never ask."

In the background, Wynn in Wyvern Two fought with Leon's DEEP Arms, Marvin fought Jethro and Chris fought with Luke.

**Antonio looks at the 3D map provided by Verdani in the display,**

Amazed at the real time data it was providing. He began issuing orders to the different units, directing fire support and telling units where to go. Just then, the scanners spot a small force, about six ginns and DEEP Arms coming at him.

"You've been a thorn on ZAFT's side since you first fought against us," A voice menacingly says in his radio. "It's time for you to be plucked out."

Antonio's eyes harden, recognizing who it was, Cynthia Knowles, the one who had destroyed the Montgomery.

"You're welcome to try," Antonio replies with a voice with every intention to kill, the Chimera charges straight at them.

"Verdani," he says to the system. "Enter to full combat mode."

"Acknowledge," The AI replies. "System Combat Mode Engaged."

The visual displays all turn into viewing of the outside, even those normally showing measurements such battery and heat levels. All of which, Verdani could report. This made it possible to give Antonio a wider field of vision than his opponents.

"Hostiles are attempting to circle you, recommending the 'Kshatriyas' M8 beam shield katar."

"OK," The pilot replies, "Activate."

The Chimera's shields start to emit glow, forming a shield similar to that of the Armure Lumiere. Two ginns attack him from either side with heavy swords, both swing them at the shields. The swords melt as they made contact with the beam weapons.

"Verdani, Katar mode."

The shields then become narrower, Antonio then gives one ginn a left hook to the head and a straight to the right arm, destroying both body parts. The other ginn was about the pull out its machinegun, he was disabled with a stab to the chest before he could use it.

One then ginn aims its Barrus heavy particle cannon at him and fires. Antonio activates the Rommel Panzer shield and absorbs the attack.

"Verdani, Yasha."

"Yes colonel."

The shields deactivate, just as the Chimera pulls out its long beam boomerangs. He throws both, one up high, the other down low, severing off the upper torso where the head and arms were connected, and both legs.

As he catches the boomerangs, Antonio sees the next pair of ginns charging in.

"Verdani, Apo Ano."

"Activating thermal heat spears."

He stows away his beam boomerangs, and pulls out a pair of spears that glowed red similar to heathawk. He sidesteps one ginn's attempt to impale him with his sword, he then stabs both spears into him. Then, using the spears tether line, he swings the ginn towards the other one, making then collide in each other.

"So far so good," Antonio comments as he moves closer to Knowles' DEEP Arms. "Not bad for a first engagement, you just might get my seal of approval in the next few weeks."

"Thank you sir," Verdani replies.

"Well let's go finish this u–" A bright light suddenly flashes in front of his eyes, blinding him. He thought he had been hit with a flash grenade again. He hears something, a voice, it wasn't Verdani's.

"Neo-Spartan Zero Program Activated."

Then, something foreign, unfamiliar happens.

Inside Antonio, a sky blue seed bursts within him. His face became focused, his eyes unnaturally clear.

He returns his spears back into his rack, and goes to deploy the Mandarangan. Before Antonio could attach the two pieces together, the ginn was coming at him fast, charging in for an attack. He swings his sword, Antonio blocks the attack with the butt end of the Mandarangan. At that same moment, he stabs the ginn with the bladed half into the ginn's chest. He then pushes him away, far enough to hit him with roundhouse kick. And then there was Knowles.

Undaunted by the easy dispatching of her crew, she charges to toward him with her beam sword. "This ends today!"

The Chimera finally merges the Mandarangan together, twirling it from side to side. He goes to meet the DEEP Arms. Knowles swings down her weapon, expecting the Chimera's weapon to meet with hers. But it didn't, Antonio dives down, going under the DEEP Arms, after one twirl he thrusts the Mandarangan into the mobilesuits back, to where the battery was.

Essentially the battle was over, but Antonio made sure she wouldn't cause anymore trouble by cutting off all her limbs.

Knowles screamed in fury, pounding of her dashboard as she was not only defeated, but defeated without much effort, the ultimate humiliation.

Antonio stares at the stricken suit, his eyes were still eerily clear. "That was for George."

The Chimera then turns and boosts away.

**In the Vesalius**

Rau frowns, seeing what could have been an easy engagement with Eighth Earth Forces turned into a hard battle with the 2nd UN Orbital Fleet. Worst still, the Archangel was now beyond reach. Any further fighting and losses would be pointless.

"Commander!" ECM officer calls, "I'm detecting twelve Laurasia-class vessels on our rear flanks, their IFF codes say they're UN ships! I'm also detecting at least forty various mobilesuits, mostly Ginns and Leos!"

Rau lips curve concavely, the odds were now clearly on the enemy's.

"Ades," he began. "Signal for withdrawal, we have lost."

With that, flares were launched from all six ZAFT ships, signaling the mobile suits to return.

Halberton's Eighth Fleet, now only composing of Drake-classes, Seleukos and Antigonos; Nelson-class, Ptolemaois and the Flagship, Agamemnon-class Menelaos, though battled, bruised and were now just a skeleton of a fleet, had successful accomplished their mission…

…with a little the help from the UN 2nd Fleet, of course.

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**A/N:** Well… we're finally done with outer space for now, time to fight where Antonio and the others are more accustomed to, on earth. The desert chapter will be coming in the next week or so keep an eye on it. Also, my sidestory is just about ready, stay tuned for that.

Pls. R & R. XD

Watchman.

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**Glossary:**

**Pogey **– Derogative military slang for desk officers and personnel


	20. Phase16: The Shifting Sands

**A/N: **Well, time for the first on-earth chapter, and it's also time flesh out my OCs a little more.

**Phase 16: The Shifting Sands**

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**UN 2nd Fleet Carrier Agamemnon-class Agares**

Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire leans against the wall inside Sgt. Luke Lawman's temporary quarters. He had told him of his experience inside the Chimera during the last few moments of the battle. When that light flashed and the weird surge he felt after that.

What he left out was something that disturbed him, during that flash, he saw a figure that resembled _her_. She was reaching out to him, calling his name.

Luke shakes his head. "I've checked and double checked the system. I couldn't find anything wrong with it even if I tried, can it be possible it was just your imagination or a hallucination?"

Antonio looks at him adamantly, "It was way too real to be my imagination."

"That feeling I got after that… it was weird, it felt like I was in AI-SEED but it wasn't quite like it… there was no pain. Heck, I didn't have to take the Gamma after that."

Luke shrugs, not really knowing what to say, "All I can say sir, is it's not the system."

Michael, who was sitting on the bed, then looks at Antonio carefully as he readjusted his glasses, "I'm not an expert on the subject but maybe it's the real thing?"

Antonio looks at him incredulously, "SEED? Me? Doubt it. I've been using AI-SEED for years. I should have experienced it years ago then."

**SEED**, **S**uperior **E**volutionary **E**lement **D**estined-factor, Julian Weather had once explained it to him when Leonidas was still active. It was something talked about a lot during the project.

It was a controversial and as yet unproven theory about the continuation of human evolution. It was something that a handful of people were capable of, regardless of genetic type. Cases were extremely rare, usually, those who had it had no idea of it themselves.

The ability was also called the Berserker state, after a class of ancient northern European warriors, but it was closer to the ideal of martial arts, a pure state of mind, uncluttered by rage. It boosted the user's mental abilities by ten, even twenty fold. Reflexes were faster, thoughts were quickly processed like the fastest computer, and the user was usually unstoppable in most cases.

**AI-SEED**, **A**rtificially **I**nduced – **S**uperior **E**volutionary **E**lement **D**estined-factor was similar. It had some more additional traits, long term effects like increasing one's spatial awareness, Antonio gained strong spatial perception through the project though he rarely uses it anymore. It also enhanced a person's physical strength and endurance. But there were its nasty side effects, the only thing that made "normal" SEED superior.

Antonio may have seen it in action in the recent battle, during the Archangel's ten minutes before reaching the Eighth Fleet. The Strike's performance suggested that either Kira went nuts and barreled his way through the situation and miraculously survived, or he had it. It wasn't that surprising if it was the latter, if you considered the young teen's already extraordinary performance with the Strike.

Michael shrugs, "Got any other explanation?"

"Okay, IF I do have it, why just now?"

His friend throws his hands up in the air, "That's the reason it's a controversial theory, there's not much to support it in first place. Who knows? Maybe it's because you have a stronger immunity to it."

Antonio, exasperated, also gives up, "Forget it…" he says, running a hand through his black hair, then scratching his head. "This is getting us no where…"

At that same moment, someone knocks on the hatch before it opens, Regina enters the room.

"Sir," The brunette haired French Eurasian began. "You and Lt. Col. Takahashi have orders to head up the skipper's office. We've got a special assignment."

Luke, Michael and Antonio all exchange looks among themselves, confused. They're assigned to the G-Zero project, they weren't supposed to get additional assignments.

**Minutes later, up in the Agares' Captain's office, **

Antonio and Michael both enter the bridge. The only persons there were Captain Anya Une Samsonov and Lt. Com. Joseph Richards.

"What's this all about Une?" Michael asks, "We're supposed to not have any assignments until the GAT-Zero prototypes are finished testing."

"This is an exception," Une replies. "The Covenant has contacted us."

The mood suddenly turns serious.

_The Covenant, The Sword, The Arm of the Lord_ or known simply as the Covenant was a secret organization that was opposed to Blue Cosmos. Despite being legally banned in the several nations in OMNI-Enforcer and branded by the Atlantic Federation as a terrorist organization, the group was rumored to have a formidable membership. It's also rumored to have connections as well as agents in any nation and organization, be it the Junk Guild, information traders like Terminal, the DSSD, even within Blue Cosmos. Originally, the group used peaceful tactics to prevent the influence of Blue Cosmos from spreading, but as the group became more powerful and violent, the group has resorted more underhanded means.

She eyes her XO sidewards, "Richards?" He and takes over, giving them a rundown on their new assignment.

"The operation has been declared a black operation," Une continues after he was finishes, handing a folder and disk to Antonio. "So any means to complete it will be allowed. However, if you have been killed or captured, the UNAAF and UN shall deny involvement in the matter."

Antonio takes the folder and disk, "And what of the Zeroes?"

"You may take them with you if you want," she replies. "The brass wants some more actual field combat data on these units, and I heard ZAFT in that area has been rather aggressive."

He nods, "We'll depart as soon as we can."

Une nods, "This meeting never happened."

**Meanwhile, in Frank's room**

The dirty blonde haired Australia sat on his bunk, alone in the dark. His bunkmate, Daniel, was over at the terminal room making a link to Dr. Fletcher on the Basilisk.

He too received a message from the Covenant.

They found him, the man directly responsible for Danica's fate Copernicus. The bomber who had put together the device that took her away from him. The Covenant had assured him he'll get his chance in meeting him. He understood that when he got the message of their new assignment, which happened to be the same place where the man was, Banadiya.

Frank finishes his tenth stick in the last hour.

_For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction… he'll never know what hit him. …Or any of them for that matter…_

Frank Snow wasn't a vengeful man by nature, but never loved any woman more than Danica. He knows it'll never bring her back, he wasn't delusional. Like Antonio, he wanted justice, even if it meant going outside the law to get it. He never wanted this path himself, but he can get any peace if he didn't.

_Nicky… I know don't want this… but I can never rest until… they get what they deserve. I'm sorry…_

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**Somewhere in the Libyan Desert**

A finger points on a map of the world, at a blue where Alaska was, just west of the Yukon Territory of Canada.

"This is Alaska." Mu comments, as he drags his finger along the map, past the territories of Eurasia, the Equatorial and Orb Unions, to a red area, North Africa.  
"And this is where we are, right smack in the middle of ZAFT territory." he says to the only other occupant of the room. Both of them sighed.  
Mu La Flaga shakes his head. "We couldn't have picked a worse place to land."

They were in the Archangel's Captain's office, going over their situation, and Murrue Ramius sighs. "We didn't really have a choice. It was that or lose the Strike, and we couldn't afford to let that happen."

"Yeah," The newly-promoted Lieutenant Commander nods wearily. So how is Kira, anyway?"

"The Doctor who took over Naomi's duties says reentry heat knocked him out," she replies. "His fever is still running high, but Miyuki said he should be fine in a couple of days."

"We should be glad the kid's a Coordinator," Mu sips from a coffee mug. "What a time for Ant leave, huh?"

The captain shakes her head, smiling. "Yes unfortunately, but we still have Miyuki, Kira –hopefully– and you."

He smirks, "Thanks."

"Well," he then said, leaving his cup on the table, "I'm gonna go see how the kid's doing, then get some sleep."

On his way out, he looks over his shoulder with a teasing look. "You should get some shuteye too, you know. The Captain mustn't get herself all worn out and exhausted, not good."

**Elsewhere in the Archangel**

Lt. Miyuki Kajiura was standing on one the platforms, looking out towards the seemingly endless expanses of desert. Somewhere out there, two former Swords were lying and waiting. She knew she can never talk them out of a fight, they were loyal to the Plants. If she knew well enough, they were going to deal with her regardless, even if they knew her reason for leaving. The bottom line was, she was a deserter, and deserters had to be dealt with.

"Andy… Aisha…" She whispers quietly, crossing her arms. There was going to be no easy way out of this.

One advantage she had was she didn't have to hold back anymore, since her daughter was no longer around. She had left for Orb in a shuttle, that was nearly destroyed by the Duel. Miyuki's heart almost stopped when she heard that part, she then found out that Kira and a Tallgeese had prevented him from firing. She was pretty sure who's Tallgeese it was, and she was looking forward in meeting Une Samsonov again.

Miyuki turns around with the intention of going to the hangar, sooner or later, the Desert Tiger was going to find out the Archangel had landed on his territory. She had to prepare for his inevitable welcome.

**Archangel, Infirmary**

Kira himself was lying in a bed. Flay Allster tended to him, while the students talked with Dr. Calvin Hibson, who was supposed to have been temporarily assigned to the Archangel, about the young coordinator's condition.

"There seems to be no internal damage." He informs them. "All we can really do is let him rest, give him plenty of liquids, and lower his temperature."

"So is that it?" Sai asked him, as Hibson just nods, followed by a shrug.

"I don't truly know to be honest, the kid is the first coordinator I ever treated." he informs them. "But according to Lt. Kajiura, he should recover just fine. The heat from reentry dehydrated him and gave him a high fever, knocking him unconscious, but she assured me it's no big deal. Apparently, it was a common occurrence when training new recruits in orbital deployment."

Tolle sighs with relief. "That's good to hear. I was really worried."

"So how hot did it get in the Strike's cockpit?" Kuzzey asks, out of curiosity's sake. "If it was hot enough to knock Kira out..."

"I don't know exactly how warm it got," Hibson admitted, "since it had cooled significantly by the time anyone could get inside, but I can assure you no Natural could have survived it. "

"Okay..." Tolle scratched his head. "But how did Kira manage to survive? I mean, I know Coordinators have faster reflexes and all, but he doesn't look that different from us..."

The doctor shook his head. "I know he looks just like the rest of us, but looks can be deceiving. His internal capabilities are completely different from ours. Being a Coordinator is more than merely thinking and learning faster, for example, he won't catch deadly diseases. So, he may occasionally get sick, but it would be more of a danger to us than to him. A bullet may do the trick, but definitely not this."

Sai looked over to where Kira laid, who was being watched over by Flay. "I. . . See." Sai whispers. "His. . . Abilities . . . are Different."

"La Flaga here." Mu's voice was heard from the other side of the medical rooms hatch. "I'm coming in." he told all of them, as he walked through the doorway. The doorway slid aside, as he came in seeing each of the students. "Ok . . ., is there something I should know?"

"Oh nothing sir." the doctor replies to the pilot. "Just explaining to them, that there friend will be just fine, and explaining about Ensign Yamato's health." Hibson told him, as each of them, looked at the pilot who lay in bed.

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**Several miles away from the Archangel, in the town of Banadiya, **

ZAFT forces stood guard around the town. Its streets buzzed of commotion, with word on the shooting the stars just the night before. Except for the ZAFT military presence, the town itself looked normal for one that was located in the desert. What stood out was a mansion on the side of the town, it used to belong to a noble family.

Around the building, there were mobile suits, ZAFT ones. Several were the TMF/S-3 GINN OCHER, as Ginn made for desert combat. They were colored orange and black.

Down on the ground, a young man walks down the walkway towards the building's main entrance. Master Pierce Rayer wore a desert camo army fatigue and a black tactical vest over that. Once he got to the main door, he took a card out of his pocket, and swipes it against an identification device to unlock the door.

On the upper floors of the building, a steaming cup of coffee had some steam rising. On the handle of the cup, was a hand that belonged to a man, with dark brown hair, with thick side burns going down his cheek. He wore a black and orange shirt, with a pair of blue pants.

"Hmm, so these are what we are to do." the man, known as the Desert Tiger smirks, as across from him, was a lovely woman, wearing a blue jump suit, with dark blue hair, with orange highlight bangs, and extremely dark blue eyes. The desert tiger passed the papers he was reading to the woman.

"Oh, hmhmhmhm." she laughs. "So we are to investigate those 'stars' that fell last night?"

"Yeah, so it seems." the tiger grins, as he stood with a stretch. "Aisha! Assemble the team to the Lesseps." he said turning to her with a grin, as he then took a sip of his coffee.

"But first, another cup of coffee." he told her, as Aisha Li Feng rolls her eyes at her commander and love interest.

With that, a knock on the door came, Aisha walks over to open it, as the Tiger pours himself another cup, his personal brew. At the door, was Master, as soon as Aisha opens the door, he gave a salute. "Hey Pierce, have a good trip into town?" Aisha asked him.

The former Spartan nods, as he took the bag, and set it on the table. "Yeah, and commander here." he said throwing Waltfeld a can, which seemed to be that of coffee beans. "Your fresh shipment."

"Thanks Pierce, I appreciate you getting me this." Waltfeld comments, as he began to add it to his cup. "You want some before your next mission?"

"Nah, what's next job chief?" Pierce asks, as Aisha points towards the papers on the nearby desk. Pierce snatches the papers and looks through it.

"So HQ wants us to investigate these things?" he asked as Aisha nods.

"Alright, I'm up for a good fight." Waltfeld chuckled a bit. "For a second there, I thought you wanted me to go get another package."

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**Orbit, UN 2nd Fleet Agamemnon-class Agares**

"Unit Two, you may launch when ready."

"Roger that," Wynn's Wyvern launches off the catapult, moving to another carrier of the 2nd fleet, the Agamemnon-class, Scipio. They were going to Scandinavia along with the Wyvern units for the final testing and screening of the unit before they were to begin manufacturing. If all goes well, the first batch of mass-produced Wyverns would be deployed in June.

"Keep these guys alive now." She calls her commander who was on the bridge.

"Because," Regina grins as she lands on the Scipio, "We are so going to kick your ass if you don't."

Antonio smirks, "Yes ma'am."

He was about to leave the bridge when Une spoke, "By the way, Lewis called, he wants to thank you again for the assistance during the battle."

He nods, giving a mock annoyed look. "Tell him that's the last time I'm baling him out in the near future."

The captain smirks, "Will do, Colonel."

With that, he turns back to leave.

**After they left, **

He left the Bridge and headed to the briefing where others were waiting. When he enters the room, the men were talking among themselves. The briefing room had several armchairs bolted to the floor, all were directed at the desk that was close to the door.

The men hushed as he enters, sitting properly as the colonel walks toward the desk.

"Okay," Antonio begins. "Here's what we're going to do."

"Just several hours ago," He began, map of North Africa shows on a hologram on the captain's desk. "They gave us information on the group responsible for the disruptions of the relief efforts in Egypt."

"Who's the target?" Daniel asks.

"Muhammad Ali Khalib," He replies, showing an image of a middle-eastern looking young man, about in his twenties, with dark skin, cropped hair and a well-shaved face. "This boy's the leader of the group and is a major player in an extremist group in Egypt. He's been connected to several bombings in the region. Our boy here is connected to bombings in cities around the Red sea and throughout the Mediterranean, he's also a part of the Islamic Anti-Coordinator Jihad Movement in Cairo. He's got several friends in the Egyptian government who also happen to be major Blue Cosmos members and arms dealers in the African Community. Also, this fellow is a suspected trainer for the Blue Cosmos extremists that were sent to the Equatorial Union through Oman. Currently he's hiding in small town called Banadiya in Libya."

Frank's left eye twitches slightly. _Well, well…_

"There are no prepared plans for this operation," He goes on. "We're going in there, starting from scratch. Intelligence and Recon, we'll have to do them ourselves. We will have no technical or financial support from UNAAF whatsoever. How we will get this guy from Africa to friendly territory will be up to our luck and imagination."

"A black operation through and through …" Mike shook his head, "I haven't had one of these since Euro-Pac."

Antonio nods, "The good thing is, we'll be able to take our mobilesuits with us, which should make up for our small number. We're also allowed to bring along as much supplies and equipment as we and our mobilesuits can carry."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Jethro comments. "We're actually going to bring along the G-Zeros with us? Won't they stand out?"

"There's hardly info on them aside for some sketchy reports." Michael answers, "Besides, we can hide them, Lance." "I'm pretty good with hiding things in the desert without burying it in the sand."

"Right…" Jethro nods, "I forgot you're the Spartan of Hell, deserts are your playground."

"Looks like old age is finally catching up with you…" Frank comments.

"Oh shut up," Mills retorts. Though, they both laugh.

Antonio claps his hand to hustle his men, "Okay boys let's move, get your gear ready, we're to drop in 1800!"

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**Back in the Desert, On the Archangel**

Kira's eyes finally open in the Infirmary.  
_Wha... Where... am I...?_ The last thing he could remember was scorching, mind-melting heat...

The curtain next to his bed slides open, revealing Flay Allster, "So, you're finally awake." She began, with a smile. The smile immediately turns to a look of concern when he tried to push himself upright. "Oh! You shouldn't try to sit up so quickly!"

Kira allows himself to be lowered back to the bed, he realized now that he really did need the rest. "Flay...? Where am I?"

"In the ship's Infirmary," she replied. "You've been asleep for hours."

He noticed about then that he actually had weight. "Gravity... So we must have landed safely, right? After the battle?"

Flay nodded. "We landed on Earth, in a desert, we arrived sometime last night." She paused. "The Doctor says you'll be fine soon, you just need plenty of rest."

"Right..." Kira then remembers something else from the battle. "Hey... did the shuttle…"

She smiles, "Last I've heard, the shuttle has made it Orb… Don't worry about it."

"And what about Lt. Flaga and Kajiura?"

There was a glint in her eye, but Kira never noticed it. "They're fine too. They made it back to the ship in time."

"Good..." He manages a weak smile, apparently unaware of Flay's intentions. "Thanks."

_Once you get better, Kira, you can get back to avenging my father... Luckily, Kajiura's too busy in the hangar to do anything. My father will be avenged, one way or the other. _

**Down on the hangar**

"I looked over the manual last night, and they look like they could be a lot of fun," Mu said to his companions, standing on the ladder leading to the cockpit of a FX-550 Skygrasper, the Eighth Fleet had delivered four of the machines to the Archangel. "What do you think, Lieutenant?"

"You can call me Yuki, Commander, or by my old team callsign 'Corsair'," Miyuki replies.

"As to your question," she continues, "Yeah, they're a newer and tougher model than what I fought before, more firepower and maneuverability. The beam turret should make engagements with mobilesuits a lot easier."

"Not to mention the ability to use the Striker packs, eh?" Murdoch puts in. "Put an Agni on one of those birds, and you've really got something."

"Yeah," Mu agreed, "but if you'll notice, the primary -intended- purpose of that capability is to deliver them to the Strike. So what does that make us, delivery boys?"

Miyuki grins. "Speak for yourself, Mu, I have the Phantom and Strike Ginn. Besides, since when do the pilots actually use things the way they were designed? If the Strikers really do work with the Skygraspers, why the hell should we not use 'em that way? Plus, we've got spares for the Striker weaponry after our resupply from the Eighth fleet. There's plenty to go around. Isn't that right, Chief?"

Murdoch nods, "Just don't break too many."

"And Lieutenant -err, I mean, Commander," the head mechanic corrects himself, "At least with you in the cockpit, all deliveries are guaranteed, whether day or night."

"I'm grateful to the Admiral for the promotion," Mu comments, examining the plane's underbelly, "But little good it does me in this situation."

"I mean, the pay raise is gratifying and everything," he goes on. "But when can I spend it?"

"Your back pay should be pretty impressive, when we get back to friendly territory," Miyuki chuckles.

"Yeah, even the kid's won't be bad." Murdoch adds. "They've made him Ensign already. Guess it makes sense, he is a pilot after all."

"And the rest are all Crewman 2nd class." La Flaga shakes his head. "Man oh man."  
"They'll turn into great soldiers before you know it." The head-mechanic then raises an eyebrow. "By the way, how's the kid's fever?"

"I hear it went down a little while, they tell me he's even awake." The pilot shook his head again. "Honestly, I'm not sure whose construction is more impressive, the Strike's or that youngster's." He paused, scratching his head. "By the way, do you have any idea why Kira keeps referring to that mobile suit as the 'Gundam'?"

Murdoch and Miyuki answer the same time, the head mechanic waves for the more knowledgeable mobilesuit pilot to explain.

"It comes from the machines' startup screens," she explains. "The G-weapons use a system called 'General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver System'. When that comes up on the activation screen, reading the first letters of each word top-to-bottom gives you 'Gundam'. I guess Kira got used to that since he sees every time he gets on the Strike."

"Makes sense," Mu nods. "Say, what do you think Ant's crew up to now?"

"They're probably in Scandinavia or the EU." Miyuki shrugs, "Odds are, they're still the test crew for the Chimera, Siginarugan and Wyverns. …lucky bastards."

"Yeah," Murdoch and Mu both mutter in agreement, "Lucky them."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**UN 2nd Fleet Agamemnon-class, Agares, Infirmary**

Naomi turns to find Antonio entering her office, "Oh, Col. Le Saint Claire. What brings you here?"

He gives her a blunt expression, simply answering, "I can't get to my stash right now."

The doctor's welcoming smile fades, replaced by a cold frown. She doesn't say anything as she gets something from her drawer. She heaves a box at him and turns back to what she doing.

"Get out," She says plainly. "Make sure no sees you holding that."

The officer leaves without another word.

Antonio was addicted to morphine, he uses it to dull the various pains that plagued his body. He had a severe case of depression for years now, it was the result of his traumatic experience in Orb eleven years ago. He took it instead of the tricyclic antidepressant he had been prescribed with. He said it was because it gave him weakened vision, but Naomi suspected he preferred the more immediate dulling effect of morphine, plus it also had an uplifting effect on one's emotions. She also suspected he was taking heroin, the more powerful version of the drug.

Naomi pretends to be working until she was sure he was gone. After a while, when she was sure, the young doctor buries her face with her hands. She was making a big risk for the both of them and their careers by supplying him with the morphine. He took them in small amounts but he took several times a day, the box she gave had sixteen bottles of morphine which should last about a month if administered normally, he would probably go through them in a week.

The reason she hasn't ever reported him was because he had been a good friend for so long, at one time, they were a couple. Though she had a good relationship with Daniel, she still loved Antonio in a way.

"God…" She whispers to herself, praying. "If you can hear me… please, he's a good person. Help him…"

**Meanwhile, down in the armory,**

Daniel Spear was collecting some ammunition components and bullet making tools for the mission. He always made his own ammunition for his rifle. He also took a spotting scope, binoculars, a new gun cleaning kit, thermal scope, starlight scope, night-vision gear and a light tactical vest.

Also there was Amon Rochefort, he seem to be taking some ammunition for a handgun, along with stuff that were for wilderness survival.

"So," Daniel began still gathering some equipment. "You'll still be tagging along with us right?"

"Uh-huh." The ex-ZAFT pilots replies, "I have no where else to go. At least, until I land on earth."

"You have any place you have in mind going after that?" The Little Rock, Arkansas native examines a suppressor for a handgun.

"I'll go where the road takes me."

"Dang you sound so indifferent, especially for a guy who's runnin' from ZAFT." Daniel comments letting his southern drawl show, "Don't you have anyone in the Plant to miss?"

"I don't."

Daniel looks at him, raising an eyebrow, "You serious?"

"Yup."

"Okay…" He resumes to collecting of supplies, "Why did you leave ZAFT anyway?"

The ZAFT soldier doesn't answer at first as he took an assault Kevlar vest with ceramic plates.

"It's because of a promise," he replies. "A promise I made to her in Jachin Due."

Daniel stops for a moment, somehow knowing what happened to that 'her' he was pertaining to, "I see… Sorry for poking in."

"It's alright," Amon replies seemingly unfazed, smiling somewhat. "It kinda feels nice talking to someone about it."

**In the Hangar,**

Frank was loading his mobilesuit's storage compartment with the usual supplies for the mission they taking. He was also loading in there bomb-making equipment, along with a finished devices.

He also heard there were a number of Blue Cosmos people down there, they were going to his targets too, a way for to pay the Covenant for their information, though Leopold Rosewood's death was probably thanks enough for them.

Rosewood was an Irish native from the Atlantic Federation, he used to be a bomb-maker for New Irish Revolutionary Army (NIRA), but wasn't there for the cause, he was there because NIRA was paying him big money to make bombs for them. That was until he was caught.

He was supposed to be executed by gas chamber, but someone in Blue Cosmos decided he was much useful alive. So began a relationship that caused several hundred unsolved bombings and thousands dead, Danica included.

Frank was going to stop all that, or die trying.

**Down the aisle of mobilesuits,**

Jethro walks toward Luke who was working on the Siginarugan.

"Hey sergeant," The older man lazily salutes him.

Luke looks up from his lap and salutes, "Hey Lance."

"What'cha doing kiddo?" Jethro asks as kicks the side of the suit, "This boy's been doing pretty well during the last battle. Does it still have bugs or something?"

"I'm adjusting the automatic weight balancing system for the desert," The African replies. "This sucker's pretty heavy y'know. If we didn't adjust it, Mike'll end up in the bottom of the desert.

Jethro nods, "What about the LC? Where's he at anyway?"

"Up here," Michael answers as he gets out of the cockpit. "Upgrading the OS and adding for gravity parameters."

He then asks, "You want something, Jeth?"

"Just answers for some questions," The newly promoted 1st Sgt. Mills replies, "Nothing important, but you do know who the ZAFT commander to the area we're headed right?"

Michael nods with a serious expression on his face, "Andrew Waltfeld aka the ZAFT's Desert Tiger. Yeah, I know him. He was part of the contingent of ZAFT soldiers under me during the Euro-Pac, good with his tactics and finding weaknesses in an opponent, and one of the most tenacious SOBs know."

"And also," he smiles sadly. "He has a weird obsession with coffee."

That last part made Luke and Jethro raise their eyebrows. Seeing this, Mike rolls his eyes as he went on to explain.

"The guy's willing go to a lot of trouble out in desert to make some coffee, mind you, his brew is pretty good though has this weird after-taste."

"Right…" Jethro still has his eyebrow raised. "According to reports, he's been the area for a while, ever since his accomplishments in El Alamein. According to rather old OMNI Intel, he's got about sixteen TMF/A-802 BuCUEs, twenty TMF/S-3 GINN OCHERs, several dozen attack choppers, a Petrie-class and Lesseps-class. This is a three month old report, its possible his arsenal got bigger though."

Mike frowns shaking his head, "Pray we don't have to engage with all that and whatever else they got since then, even if they don't have beam weapons. Andy's more than capable of matching us even with just that stuff."

Jethro nods grimly, "I'll take your word for it…"

"You sound you know him pretty well," Luke comments, resuming his work.

The new Lt. Colonel nods, "He was pretty cool guy, fun to talk with and just don't drink liquor with him."

"Why's that?" Jethro asks.

"Because he had a very, very low alcohol tolerance," Michael chuckles. "I spiked his coffee once with about only a small shot glass' worth of rum. He didn't drink much of it but that was enough to make him half drunk."

Jethro and Luke smirk.

"He must've pretty pissed on you," Luke comments.

"No," Michael laughs. "He thought had he flu."

"What?-!" Luke grins, "Didn't he ever got drunk before?"

"Apparently, he's into coffee for so long that," Michael shook his head, "He forgot what it feels to be drunk."

"Damn…" Jethro chuckles, "Now that's dedication, I'd like to meet this guy, too bad we can't just go to his pad down there."

"Yeah…" Mike smiles sadly, nodding, "He's a good guy."

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**Back in Libya, Archangel's cafeteria, **

Four of the students from Heliopolis were discussing Kira's condition.  
"Really?" Mir said. "Kira's already regained consciousness?"

"Yeah," Tolle replies, "Just a little while ago."

"The Doctor says he's okay," Sai adds, "So they transfer him back to his quarters. Flay went over there a little while ago to take his meal to him."

At that moment, the hatch opened and Flay herself entered, carrying a pair of empty meal trays. "Hello, everyone."

"Hi, Flay," Mir greeted. "So how's Kira?"

"He seems to be recovering nicely," the red-haired girl replies. "His appetite didn't suffer, anyway; I just finished eating with him." "Kira has to get better as soon as possible." She whispers under her breath.

Mir couldn't quite make out the words, still, she felt strangely uneasy. "Well, I'm glad to here he's okay."

"You must be tired," Sai commented. "You were by Kira's side all night, weren't you? You should get some rest, too."

"I'm doing just fine, really," Flay assured them. "Besides, it's not like I have an actual job on this ship yet, not like the rest of you."

_His body really is different... the things he can do..._

"Anyway," she said aloud, "I'm going to go back to his quarters to check on him. He's had a rough time."

Flay heads for the hatch, and something about her tone caused Sai to get up and follow her. "Uh, Flay-"

Her reaction startles everyone. "What?-!" She seemed almost angry at her fiancé.

Sai drew back a step, startled. "Well, nothing really, but..."

"Sai," she began in a low voice but still audible to those close by, "Our relationship was something arranged by my father. But as you can see, he's no longer around. So I don't see any reason why we should remain bound by it." She turns to look at him, a strange smile was on her face. "It was just a verbal agreement, that's all. We might as well just forget it."  
And with that, Flay leaves.

"Flay, I-" Thoroughly confused, Sai just stood there. _What's going on?_

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**UN 2nd Fleet Agamemnon-class Agares**

"Richards," Captain Anya Une Samsonov calls. "What's the status of the units?"

"Chimera and Siginarugan are ready, the support unit has also already confirmed."

Une nods, "All Units, commence operation." The officer in CIC relays the message, a general count down begins.

The Taskforce Bravo pilots receive the transmission, they were in the side of the Agares, inside re-entry pods.

Like the Arcani weeks before, they were equipped for orbital descent, complete with protective masks. While Daniel, Frank, Luke, Amon and Jethro were in standard ZAFT re-entry pods, Chimera and Siginarugan were all encased in specially made re-entry pods, similar that of what their Scandinavian cousins used.

Une calls them, "I know it's needless to say this but, you're permitted you use any means to finish your mission. However, excessive loss of civilians will not be tolerated."

"Yes captain," The pilots respond.

The captain nods, "Good luck to all of you."

Her transmission breaks, however her face shows itself again in Michael's display. He notes Une had a concerned look in her face.

"What is it Une?" Michael asks.

"Watch over him," She replies with obvious concern. "Please, for me."

Une had approach him earlier about Antonio, she told Michael of her previous conversation with their friend, describing how bad his emotional state was.

Michael had been aware of his friend's emotional downward spiral, but he didn't realize it was that bad. He was angry at himself, frustrated for not noticing what was happening to his own best friend. A guy he grew up and spent so many years with, through thick and thin. And yet, he never noticed his plight. Michael was willing to do anything he could to make up for it.

"My promise isn't a guarantee…" Lt. Col. Takahashi nods. "But I'll do what I can."

Une nods, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Mikey."

Michael raises her eyebrow at her, smiling back. "Don't call me that."

At the same time he says this, the pods were launched.

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**Out in the Desert, Lesseps **

Master stood looking up at his Legionnaire Dragonfly, beside it, were ZAFT BuCUEs armed in one of their two main weapon variations, either with the 2-barrel 450mm railgun or the 13-tube 400mm missile launcher.

"Excuse me, Rayer!" Martin DaCosta calls.

"What is it DaCosta?" he asks, turning around to look at him.

"The Commander is putting you in charge of the Mobile Suit squad, he asked you to give them a briefing."

He rolls his eyes. "How many of them are new?"

"Six of them are new, the others have the day off."

Master nods. "Ok, but they better know how to fight. I'm not training them like that last bunch."

"Don't worry, they're fairly experienced, apparently they went through the 'Steel Huntress' training up north."

"Good, well, I guess I'm off to the briefing room." Martin watches him walk towards the Lesseps.

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**The sun was high in the sky over Gibraltar**

Lenneth Carrington lay on her back on the sand in a fairly popular beach not far from base. She was bearing a black bikini top, a black choker and a pair of ripped black tight denim shorts which revealed most of upper leg.

She had decided to tan that afternoon, since she didn't have anything to do.

Well, technically she was supposed to be doing additional operations in the Mediterranean but had ordered all operations under her command were to be halted until she said so.

This was a part of her response to the disaster in Odessa, a good number of materiel and equipment was lost in the operation, and she wasn't going to do anything until high command replaces them. It was their idea to assault Odessa in the first place, and she never liked the plan to begin with.

Also, a good number of men were also lost or injured the battle, she needs time for them to recover. She sent the newer recruits she had to Waltfeld down south. Besides, she wasn't really in the mood to be doing anything, especially when she found who had ordered the premature launch of the orbital force.

Carrington figured Cynthia Knowles ordered the launch to be early so as for her to take the blame, since she was given charge of the operation. Some ZAFT officials planned do just that, however no punishments were issued, she has been very successful commander, the major reason they still had Gibraltar and Suez in their possession despite their isolation from other bases. She was too valuable to become the scapegoat, a close associate of hers suffered that fate. Lenneth never really cared much for Knowles, but she also didn't hate her, she respects Knowles for her ability as a ZAFT soldier. Despite that, Cynthia was constantly on her case because she was a former Sword.

There always been this intense rivalry between Unit Ame-no-Murakumo aka the Swords of Zodiac and the Marconi team. But Cynthia pushed it to whole new level, especially after Endymion.

Cynthia Knowles, one of the surviving members of the Marconi team, led by Commander William Marconi, the rival group of the Swords. Marconi ironically was one of Lenneth's closer colleagues.

She, Reed Leighman and Lukav Minaev were the only ones left after the battle of Endymion. Cynthia hates the Swords because she believes they made Marconi to take the mission in Endymion, where he and most of the team died. Marconi and Knowles were known lovers.

During that day, the Swords supposed to have joined in that battle, however they've unexpectedly been called back by high command. They sent Marconi and his men in instead. During the battle, Knowles, Leighman and Minaev split up from the others to intercept a Mobilearmor carrier. William led the rest of the group deeper into the crater, they were about a hundred feet from ground-zero when the Cyclops system was activated.

Somehow, Knowles got an idea in her head that the Swords knew about the Cyclops, it was well-known the Swords had the luxury of having up-to-date information directly from Military Intel not to mention they had the Chairman Zala's support.

The truth was the Swords were recalled by the Supreme Council to stand in trial for Ides of March, Knowles saw that as an excuse, and said that inquiry could have been done after the battle. The subsequent disbanding and dispersal of the Swords gave her little consolation.

Lenneth hears her cellphone ringing, she absently gets it. "What is it, Bel?"

"Ma'am," Belenus responds from the other end. "The replacement Dinn units have arrived."

The platinum haired commander nods, "Good, and the BuCUEs I ordered?"

"Um… well ma'am…"

"Why do I have a feeling your answer is not what I wanted?"

"… High Command sent ZuOOTs instead, ma'am."

A very unhappy frown forms Carrington's face as she sits up. "ZuOOTs? What the hell does High Command expect me to do with those pieces of junk?"

"I asked the people who deliver the units ma'am," her second-in-command responds. "It seems available BuCUE units are being transferred to Carpentaria."

"Carpentaria…" Lenneth quickly remembers the meeting she had with Rau Le Creuset last year when she returned to the Plants on leave. "Damn it… they'd at least should've given us Ginns."

_Cynthia… _Lenneth felt she something to do with this, _Damn you… If you hate me so much, don't at least get my men involved with this…_

She had no problem with Cynthia being angry for her, but lately Knowles was willing to go through others to get to her.

"Sorry ma'am," Belenus says in the radio. "I'll try contact Carpentaria and…"

"No…" She interrupts him, "It's alright, I'll work with what we got somehow. I always do."

Lenneth gets up and pick up her towel, duffel bag and radio. "How's the status of the men?"

"Fair enough ma'am, I've managed to get some decent replacements from Suez. At least there's no shortage of men."

"Good, have them sent to the simulators tomorrow, the day after that, maybe we can give them some live round training. Hopefully we'll back to full strength by two weeks"

"Yes ma'am." Belenus breaks of the communication.

Lenneth walks out of the beach, heading toward her bike, a Harvey-Davidson Low-rider, called so for the frame's very low suspension from the ground. A silver silhouette of a centaur with a bow and arrow was painted on the side of the gas tank against a blue background, a theme that was used through out the bike's paint job.

She takes out her clothes from her bag, a French blue dress shirt, jeans and a black leather jacket.

She was about to put them on when changes her mind. _It's too damn hot anyway._

She places her clothes back in the bag and pull out a pair of black leather wristbands and a pair of leather boots, its heels had a two inch elevation. Lenneth gets on her bike, putting her sunglasses back on and kicks the clutch. As she cruised out of the beach's parking lot, guys couldn't help stare at her as she goes by. Lenneth had a very good figure and what she was wearing was definitely showing it.

Normally Lenneth would flash a smile at them, but right now, she was a little preoccupied in her mind.

_So… They're actually making preparations for Spitbreak…_

Carpentaria base was a spring board for the large Vosgulov-class submarine fleet that was to assemble there. They were to disembark from there several hours before the orbital descent force was dropped. If they're actually making preparations, that meant the Moderates were losing ground on the Council floor, even though the approval was still a long way coming.

"I guess we'll have to tighten our belts in the coming months…" She murmurs as she rode towards the base.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back down in Libya, a few kilometers away from the Archangel**

The Lesseps began to launch BuCUEs, as well as four jeeps and then as the last jeep came out, Rayer's black and grey Legionnaire moves out in hover-dyne mode. The lone EU-made suit was like a beast master leading a pack of wolves. The five quadruped machines ran across the desert, the Legionnaire moved with equal pace. The Hyperion flies off the upper deck of the ship, Vincent flies just over the other machines.

"This is Rayer." The mercenary calls out, as he sat in the cockpit of the machine, as its blues eyes continue to glow.

"Waltfeld here, what is it Master?" Andrew replies, as he drove in a jeep, alongside DaCosta, he had a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Just checking in, everyone else, check in now."

"Shecks here."

"Barnaby here."

"Redwood here."

"Molor here."

"Regard here."

"Schellezar here."

"_Alright everyone, today we are gathering information on our new prey, the legged ship, and its mobile suits, the GAT-X105 Strike, the white phantom and a new mobilesuit we've only recently identified as the GAT-X104 Phantom._" Waltfeld informs each of them, as the BuCUE's, Legionnaire and the jeeps sped off, towards their prey, the Archangel.

"Let's see how she'll react to us," Andy comments as he lowers the radio mic.

Martin looks at him, "Legna you mean?"

The Tiger nods, "That's the reason I wanted Rayer and Schellezar with the squad today, they should be able to match her fairly well. If not better."

**Inside the Archangel, **

In his new quarters, Kira sat on the edge of his bunk, Birdie on his finger, brooding.

He was brooding, staring blankly at a corner of the room.  
_Good thing Antonio and the others were there… If it weren't for that Tallgeese pilot, those civilian would've…_

_I was about to let those people die… And I couldn't do anything about it. I'm so useless!_

For that moment, Kira wished he had the experience Michael and Antonio had, through out the Archangel's flight from Heliopolis, they help reverse every situation thrown at them. Even though they were Naturals, they match even the best ZAFT pilots with similar mobilesuits to theirs.

Kira shook his head,_ Correction: they're not just Naturals. Not with the things they can do. They're Spartans, they're their own breed._

Kira almost wished he was part of that special breed, at least he wouldn't be as helpless as he was. Though they too weren't perfect, that fact was proven when Antonio was carried out of the hangar once and when he couldn't save Flay's father, but at least they were never helpless, got the job done and get everyone back alive.

That brought Kira right back to his original thought. Because of his shortcomings and helplessness, dozens of civilians could have died... and, to him, it would have been his fault.

He never once tried to lay blame on the pilot who almost did it, that didn't even cross his mind. He wasn't that kind of person.

Kira was still wallowing in self-pity –or hate, depending on how you look at it– when a voice spoke at his door.

"Kira?" It was Flay Allster.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Hours later,**

The night was cool, as nights in the desert usually were. Andrew 'the Desert Tiger' Waltfeld stood on the passenger side of his jeep, taking a sip, from the freshly brewed mug of coffee. To both sides of the calm ZAFT commander, were massive dog like mobile suits, known as BuCUEs, as each of these machines were heading towards one of the landing locations of the falling stars.

"BuCUE team, do you see the Legged Ship yet?" DaCosta asks, as the two BuCUEs ahead of the jeep's eyes, glowed, activating their long range scanner.

"Yes sir, the Recon BuCUE is safe from their sensors, we are about fifteen minutes from its location." One of the soldiers informed their commander's protégé.

"Good, and remember, our main prey are the G-Weapons, those gave even Rau Le Creuset such a hard time." Waltfeld told them with a smirk on his face. Like others in the Swords, he never liked Le Creuset either.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Meanwhile, on the Bridge of the Archangel's, **

Things were quite peaceful. The crew was absolutely unaware of the incoming danger. What's more, the bridge crew found themselves rather bored.

Newly-promoted Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel held the watch, while her overworked Captain got some much-needed and well deserved rest. Of the rest of the crew, Ensign Arnold Neumann and Romero Pal were the only ones on duty and even they were feeling sleepy.

_Too few people on this ship,_ Neumann thought, sipping from a zero-g drink container._ I wish the replacements from the Eighth Fleet had made it. Maybe then, we'd have enough crew to set up a more organized watch._

Idly, he releases his drink, expecting it to remain where he left it, as it had the whole time since Heliopolis. Instead, it dropped straight to the floor, obeying the laws of gravity.

"Ensign Neumann," Badgiruel said tiredly, retrieving the drink and handing it to the Ensign, "Try to remember that we're in a gravity field now, will you? I'd really rather not have to explain to the Captain why the Bridge is sopping wet."

She was more amused than angry, though. "Yes, Ma'am," Neumann replies, still feeling sheepish. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

"Please do. Besides, we could find ourselves in combat at any moment, this is ZAFT territory, after all."

Badgiruel found herself wishing the Bravo team was still with them.

She shakes it off. Antonio's team wasn't here anymore, but the ship was safe enough for now. That was really all that mattered. Besides, even if they _were_ attacked, the Archangel's weapons would suffice against almost any ship in ZAFT's inventory, and they still had the Strike and he newly acquired Phantom; in Kira Yamato and Miyuki Kajiura's hands, they were powerful deterrents.

All through the mobile assault ship, things were peaceful. Murrue Ramius slept easily for the first time in weeks, Mu La Flaga had dozed off in his Skygrasper, Miyuki had nod off in the Phantom's cockpit and Kira Yamato had finally found some peace... with the help of one Flay Allster, who remained nearby.

But the relaxation of the off-shift crew and the Bridge watch was about to be shattered. From one direction came a ZAFT assault force, commanded by Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld and completely undetected by the Archangel.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Elsewhere in the desert**

Michael worked on cleaning his machine giving a good scrub, with a wet cloth in an elbow's joint, as he worked on getting the sand out of the machine. The Siginarugan knelt on the sand, for the past few hours, he has been working on the cleaning of his machine, it had landed on a dune, embedding itself in several feet of sand. Whilst the others gather their machines and equipment as they were scattered though out the area.

"Damn it, it'll take days to get all the sand out," Michael whines. At the same time, his stomach growls a bit. With that, he hops into the cockpit and grabbed some rations and a canteen of water from the Siginarugan's cargo hold. He took a drink, as he bit into a slice of beef jerky. He jumps to the ground, and walks over to where the Chimera and the other mobilesuits were.

All of the guys were gathered around a small fire, which was shielded by the towering mobilesuits around it to keep it from being seen from afar. Everyone in general was eating whilst doing something else. Luke was busy tapping away on his laptop while Antonio and Jethro were looking over his shoulder. While Frank was assembling what looked like pipe bombs. Daniel was busy assembling his rifle. Amon was the only one focusing in eating.

"So," Michael began as he walks up to Antonio. "Is there a plan?"

"Sort of," Antonio replies. "There's a large rock formation sixteen kliks from here, we're going to hike over there tonight and hide our mobilesuits there. What do you think? You're the Spartan of Hell, the Desert King after all."

Michael looks at the laptop to see where they were, "That would be good, but these places tend to be stop over points in a desert, they're just as good as an oasis to travelers."

"But," Michael continues taking large bite off the beef. "It's pretty large place, travelers tend to occupy only the side of it. I guess you can hide a battleship in there."

"So I guess that settles it," Antonio concludes. "We'll move out in ten minutes. That is, if the Siginarugan won't choke with all that sand still in it."

Mike rolls his eyes, "Don't remind me."

Just then, an alarm from the Chimera sounds off.

"I wonder what Verdani picked up," Antonio comments as he gets and heads over.

"Picked up?" Mike repeats.

"I had her listen in to the ZAFT frequencies," He explains. "Just in case somebody spotted our descent and decide to come looking for us."

Antonio climbs up his mobilesuit via the zipline, he enter the cockpit then pulls up the terminal. "What do you have for me?"

"Colonel," Verdani began. "I've picked up a ZAFT frequency. Its source is close, distance only eight miles, 16 degrees NNW.

Antonio pulls out an earphone, and listens in. An expression of surprise shows in his face.

"Well?" Michael calls from the foot of the Chimera. "What Verdani pick up?"

"Mike," Antonio shouts suddenly. "Tell the guys to pack up now, we're moving out!"

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**Back in the Archangel, **

The first clue the ship had that anything was approaching was when Pal noticed something strange on his displays.

"Ma'am…" he calls with a perplexed face, "Incoming transmission!"

Badgiruel spun in her chair. "What?-!"

"Archangel!" a voice calls over the radio. "This is Le Saint Claire! Go into battle stations now! And I mean NOW!"

She frowns, surprised at the peacekeeper's very sudden –not to mention unexpected- comeback. But whatever reason of him being in Africa, she knew he wouldn't say something like that for no reason. "Care to clarify, Lt. Colonel?"

"It's Colonel now," Antonio replies. "If you'll check your detection equipment in a few seconds, you'll find you have a number of BuCUEs coming straight at you. Is that enough clarification, Ensign?"

"It's Lieutenant, now," Badgiruel replies back absently. "I'll get back to you, sir."

"This is the Bridge," she said, punching an intercom button. "All hands to Level One Battle stations. Repeat, all hands to Level One Battle stations! Captain Ramius to the Bridge!"

Without waiting for any kind of reply, the Lieutenant switched back to the external line. "Colonel, are you in a position to provide support?"

"Not quite, Lieutenant." Antonio replies as he and his unit move through the sand in a rapid pace. "I hope you've got the Strike and that other G-unit around, and I think they're bringing in combat choppers, too." Natarle hears him curse. "Archangel, they've got a laser designator from over the horizon someplace. Expect missiles –possibly Lockleys or Arrowheads- to be on their way at any moment. Hold the fort for a few minutes, we're on our way." Antonio brusquely breaks communication, leaving the Archangel on her own.

"What's going on?" Ramius demands, entering the Bridge. "Was that Antonio?"

"Yes, Captain." Badgiruel leaves the chair, moving down to CIC, the rest of the Bridge crew was also beginning to arrive. "He says we have BuCUEs and combat helicopters incoming."

"Wonderful," Ramius mutters under her breath. "At least we have warning this time… Activate the Gottfrieds and Valiants, load all stern missile tubes. Prepare to intercept enemy fire!"

She then turns to Neumann "Ensign Neumann, get us out of here!"

"No can do Captain, our Levitators are clogged with sand, we can't move!"

"This isn't good." Murrue calmly said, whilst cursing under her breath. "Which means we're effectively helpless for now."

She pushes the intercom button. "Commander La Flaga, is your Skygrasper ready yet?"

"Negative, Captain," Mu replies from the hanger. "There's still a couple of bugs I need to work out before I'm sure it won't crash on takeoff. I'll lift ASAP, Ma'am."

"Understood; but please hurry, Commander."

"Captain," Mir said, looked up at her, "Kira is requesting permission to launch at once."

"Denied," Ramius said instantly. "He may think he's ready, but the Doctor says he needs more rest. Tell him that, Crewman Haw."

"Yes, Ma'am." She winces, knowing how Kira was likely to react, but she understood the captain's reasons.

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**Down the hangar**

Miyuki had quickly suited up and was now getting to the Strike Ginn, the Phantom had no means of lift aside from several jump verniers which she knew wasn't going to be enough when fighting BuCUEs. She needed mobility, and she can't use the Strike because of its complicated OS, the Strike Ginn had to do. She quickly guides it the catapult, she requests for clearance as she aligns her mobilesuit.

"Murdoch," Miyuki calls to the head mechanic. "Give me the Aile Striker pack, I'm going to need mobility this time. And give me the rifle and gunlauncher from the Buster."

"Roger that, LT!"

As the Strike Ginn was being armed, Mir calls in. "Lt. Kajiura, you're clear for launch."

"Copy, Lt. Kajiura. Strike Ginn, launching!"

The Strike Ginn, better known to the ZAFT forces as the "White Phantom" hovers directly in front of the ship.

"I have completely lost it," Miyuki mutters. "I'm in the middle of a desert, I'm about to go against attack choppers and BuCUEs, in a mobilesuit that was never supposed to go into combat, and with no backup."

Still, she was there, and she had people she needed and wanted to protect. So when the first chopper came to view, she aims her rifle and blasts it out of the sky.  
_At least, I've got some back up in a few minutes,_ she thought, watching her displays for any sign of Antonio and company or Mu at least.

_But if this is really Andy, we're in a whole heck of trouble._

She has the Strike Ginn link what was once the beam rifle and gunlauncher of the Buster together to form the 350mm. anti-armor shotgun. She fires it at cluster of choppers, cutting them to shreds.

"C'mon Andy, do your worst." Miyuki whispers, breathing fast, but mentally calm.

**"Well, Well..." **

ZAFT Commander Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld watches the battle with interest. He'd heard much about this so-called "legged ship", the vessel which had eluded the Le Creuset team with apparent ease all the way to Earth. Waltfeld was interested in seeing the ship which had so thwarted the man.

"Looks like Legna's got her game face out," He began, never taking his eyes off the battle, "This going to be a long one. I hope those boys from Gibraltar learned their lessons from Carrington well."

Martin looks at his commander, silently nodding.

**The skirmish goes on for several minutes, **

It was becoming a stalemate. The helicopters couldn't hurt the mobile suit because it was too mobile and heavily armed. But Miyuki couldn't afford to go take out the enemy mobile suits before they got there, that would leave the Archangel open to fire from the helicopters and the incoming missiles.

"C'mon," she mutters, "Can somebody PLEASE back me up here?-!"

Then, five BuCUEs burst into sight over the sand dunes.

"Oh great…" Miyuki jabs at her radio. "Archangel, if you can launch anything to assist, now would be a really good time. Even my Ginn runs out of power sooner or later. Five-against-one isn't exactly my idea of fun."

"We're launching Commander La Flaga's Skygrasper." Murrue replies. "He can't do much good against the BuCUEs, but he can find that battleship; and if he can distract them, they might recall the BuCUEs."

"Good plan," Miyuki replies, "But I doubt it'll work. I have a good inkling of who's in charge of this ZAFT force, and he doesn't get intimidated easily. Still, if La Flaga can hold off the missile attacks, it'll help. But please, if there is any possible way to get the Strike out here, PLEASE do. I could use some more immediate back up."

Murrue sighs. "I'd love to, Yuki, but Kira really isn't in any condition-"

"Right, right." She makes a face. "I'll try and survive the next ten minutes. Anton should be here by then."

The first BuCUE was now in range, and Miyuki finds she wasn't quite as ready for desert combat when the sunk slightly into the sand when she lands to relieve the heat from her Aile Striker pack.

"Damn…" The verniers kick in at the last second, keeping her from going into a very disadvantageous position. She very aware of her weaknesses, first, she wasn't accustomed to the BuCUEs' full-contact tactics, and second, her only experience of BuCUEs prior was fighting _with_ them, providing close air support.

She was still attempting to compensate when the BuCUEs began to surround her, firing their back-mounted missiles launchers and double-barreled linear cannons.

She flies out of the line of fire; but even her non-PSA unit could be knocked out eventually by lack of power. Each use of a beam weapons and boost from the Aile striker to evade was draining the Strike Ginn's battery ever so slightly, until it was empty and the mobile suit was just a hunk of metal ready for target practice. It didn't help that the constant shots kept Miyuki on the defense.

"Is this all she's got?" One BuCUE pilot comments through the radio to his one his buddies. "Hah! She shouldn't have left space for Earth. We rule the des-"

A beam shot blew off his right foreleg, and second one hits his BuCUE's head.

"Don't think I didn't hear you," She growls, she stows the rifle and gunlauncher and pulls out Chaya and Be-day. "Remember, I know ZAFT frequencies."

Below, Andrew Waltfeld nodded to himself, impressed.

"She's still good," he admits. "I still don't know why they haven't launched the Strike, but Legna might actually give them time to do so."

"Well, can't have that. DaCosta," he said, turning. "Tell our two hotshot mercs it's time for them to earn their paychecks. Tell them not to hold back."

DaCosta nods. "Yes sir."

"Let's see you handle somebody your own caliber, hotshots," Waltfeld murmurs.

**Miyuki was breathing faster now, as she watched the now-circling BuCUEs warily. **

La Flaga had launched a few minutes before, searching for the enemy ship, but since then, not much had happened.

_Something's not right here..._

"Archangel, keep your eyes peeled." She calls, "They're up to something."

"How can you tell?" Murrue asks, "Looks like they're reevaluating the situation."

"That's what it only looks like, Sempai," she replies, eyes narrow, "but don't think that's what it is. Andy's smarter than that... trust me, he IS up to something."

On the screen, Murrue frowns. "'Andy'?" She pauses. "You don't mean Andrew Waltfeld, do you? ZAFT's Desert Tiger?"

"That's exactly who I mean, Cap'n'." Miyuki smiles, "An ex-Sword… and my ex-boyfriend."

Another pause. This time, the response was from Badgiruel. "Your what?"

She laughs despite the battle and the enemies circling her. "We broke up six years back. That's when I lost him to another Sword, her name was Aisha Li Feng. If I know them, they're both in command here."

"Oh, great," Badgiruel mutters. "You're sure it's them out there?"

"These tactics are very familiar, lieutenant. And if there's a Lesseps-class out there, it's definitely them."

**Below, Andy Waltfeld glanced at his watch. **

"Right about... now."

The scanner unit beeps, Miyuki's eyes swings to her displays. "EUMS-Mk104 Legionnaire Type 4," she mumbles, fighting the tension in her stomach and surprise. "What the hell's that doing here…?"

"_Archangel_, we may have a problem." She calls the bridge again. "There's a Legionnaire Dragonfly incoming. And it ain't friendly, he's got ZAFT IFF codes…"

"What? An Equatorial mobilesuit on ZAFT's side?" Ramius tilts her head. "Still, should you be able to handle that?"

"Don't too be sure, Captain," she replies. "This is the Desert Tiger we're talking about, would he really have sent in a single Legionnaire, after seeing what I can do, if the pilot wasn't that good?"

"Point taken," she sighs. "Do your best, Yuki. We'll just have to hope Commander La Flaga manages to-"

She broke off abruptly, and Miyuki tweaks her radio's volume to catch what was being said in CIC. _That sounds like Kira. What is he...?_

"No more lives will be sacrificed," Kira said angrily, "so let me go out there and fight!"

Evidently, he'd gone to the Strike as soon as the battle began, even though Ramius refused to let him launch. Now he sounded very insistent, and his tone and words were surprising her. They sound nothing like the Kira she knew.

_That sounds more like something Flay would say... oh no… Kira, don't tell me you fell for her words. Please don't act stupid..._

"Fine," Murrue said finally. "Tell him he can launch. I don't like his attitude, but I don't see that we have much of a choice. Yuki, you have help coming."

"About time," she mutters, but after hearing Kira back there, Miyuki felt she'd probably do better to simply fight by herself. Kira Yamato was under the influence of Flay Allster. He wasn't in his proper state of mind and he might be a danger to himself and the Archangel.

_Ooohhh boy... this could be bad. Real bad…_

That thought however was quickly pushed to the back of mind as she now had other things to worry about. Like the Legionnaire that was coming straight at her. And as if that wasn't enough, her scanner goes off a second time. She frowns at what she was seeing.

"Archangel, I got an unidentified mobilesuit coming in, watch yourselves, it might be another new ZAFT prototype!"

"So you're the hotshot Commander Waltfeld wants me to take care of?" a mocking voice calls over the radio instead of someone from the bridge.

"Who wants to know?"

The Hyperion had both "Forfanterie" beam cannons and its "Zastava Stigmate" beam sub-machine gun pointed directly at her, but he hadn't attack.

"The name's Schellezar," Former Eurasian pilot replies. "Vincent Allen Schellezar also known as…"

"The Bloody Joker," Miyuki's eyes narrow. "We met in Scandinavia back in the Eurasia-Pacific War… half of my men died because of you. And you're the reason why Visch Donahue lost his eye."

"Well, you remember me." Schellezar chuckles playfully, he pulls out the Durandal. "But enough talk, Legna. Let's see if you improved from our last encounter."

Miyuki found herself infuriated even more. Her encounter with him in Scandinavia was in short, one of her worst defeats. She lost twelve of her twenty-three man unit at the border between Sweden and Finland.

Visch got into a hand-to-hand sword duel with him when he manages to take down his Leos. But he lost when Schellezar's Karasu partially enters his head through his left eye.

And all the while, the Bloody Joker was smiling. Miyuki hated Schellezar's guts for that.

"Archangel," Miyuki growls to Murrue's surprise. "You'd better hurry up and get the Strike out here."

"Schellezar," She simultaneously twirls out both her swords. "Let's dance!"

**In the Archangel's starboard catapult, **

Kira Yamato sat in the Strike's cockpit, preparing to take off.

_Finally,_ he thought with disgust. _This could be over by now if they'd just let me launch earlier._

Flay's words were still ringing in his ears, that the only way to quickly end the war was to destroy his enemies as soon as possible, so as fewer innocents would die. The once reluctant pilot was now more than willing to kill.

_"Okay, Kira,"_ Mir said from the Bridge. "_You're cleared to launch. We've attached the Launcher Striker on you, Lt. Kajiura's got the only working Aile Striker."_ She pauses. _"Be careful."_

"Roger that." Kira hits the throttle, and the Strike shot down the track like a bullet.

He glances around, checking the situation. The Strike Ginn and the unfamiliar mobilesuit were circling each other in the sky, strafing at each other and attempting to blast and cut the other to kingdom come. Kira knew there was little he could do to influence the result of that melee. That left the BuCUEs and the helicopters for him to deal with.

Andrew Waltfeld got what wanted, his trap was now sprung.

**"About time," Waltfeld murmurs. **

"They've finally launched the Strike, and the White Phantom is occupied with Mr. Rayer." He smiles. "Let's see how the Le Creuset team's bane does against BuCUEs, in a desert..."

DaCosta didn't have any idea what his boss was talking about. Though he was good, he's Waltfeld's second-in-command and all, plus, he's rumored to be his current protégé, but he wasn't in the Tiger's caliber, not yet anyway.

"What do you mean, sir?"

Waltfeld looks at him at the corner of his eye. Unlike some commanders, he wanted his men to ask questions of what they don't understand. He himself said, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."

"That's a space model," Waltfeld points out, nodding toward the newly-emerged machine. "Those 'Striker packs' give it a decent weapons loadout, but they obviously don't know a thing about desert warfare. If they did, they would have sent him out with the same equipment that Ginn is using." He smiled slightly. "You'll see what I mean in a few moments, DaCosta."

Martin nods and watches on.

**Kira felt something was wrong when the first BuCUE charges at him in a high speed.**

He panics and fires a wild shot from the Agni hyper-impulse cannon which misses it completely. The BuCUE was more accurate. Its legs tagged the Strike's right shoulder, causing the Strike to lose its footing in the loose sand and fall over backwards.

"Ugh!"

**Miyuki looks momentarily at the Strike despite her own fight will the Bloody Joker and his mysterious suit.**

_C'mon, Kira... Don't die on me, Just hold out long enough..._

While she was looking on, the Hyperion opens up on her, blasting the Strike Ginn at point-blank range with his submachine gun. "Tsk, tsk. Never, let yourself be distracted, Legna!"

_He's got at point,_ Miyuki admits. She observes the mobilesuit was equipped with energy weapons, which meant he could take on the Strike if he wanted to. And to make things worse, the pilot was good. This was why their aerial dogfight was still on going.

"Not bad," Vincent comments, sidestepping a sword cut. "I'd say you definitely improved."

"Does it matter?" The katana, Chaya sweeps back, cutting the barrel off the Hyperion's submachine gun. The Strike Ginn quickly faints back, waiting for her opponent's next move.

The only reply was a chuckle, and he did something unexpected. He charges directly at her, he held his nodachi, Durandal in a forward thrust.

"Bring it on," she mutters, and moves forward with Chaya and Be-day in hand.

**Down below, **

Kira quickly figures out his problem.

_It's the sand,_ _I need to adjust for the granularity. If I can do that, I'll be able to keep my footing... But how?_

Thinking fast, he leapt backwards to dodge a BuCUE while he brings up the Strike's manual terminal. _Of course! Tweak the contact pressures for the Strike's feet, distribute the weight... That should work …I think._

**Miyuki looks on**

Though not quite sure what her young friend was up to, she spares a moment from dueling to fire the anti-armor shotgun combination, to buy him some time.

Schellezar waits for her to finish. After she fires a couple of rounds he calls at her, "Shall we continue?"

He follows up by charging in.

"You're one redeeming trait, Schellezar." Miyuki replies to him, "You actually have honor."

The clash in mid-air, exchanging sword attacks. Miyuki relies on her speed of attack, while Vincent focused on the strength of his swings, both had excellent timing as they parry and counter each other's killing blows.

They suddenly break off, the Hyperion swings its Forfanterie cannons while Miyuki forms the 94mm. sniper rifle. Vincent fires first but Miyuki dodges the blast by boosting up, at the same time, she fires the sniper rifle. She makes a direct hit to the chest …or so she thought. Her eyes widened as the smoke clears and reveal Vincent's machine was unscaved.

"What…?" She began, "I definitely hit you… how–?"

"Ever heard of the Umbrella of Artemis?" The former Eurasian elite pilot asks, he activates the Armure Lumiere shield for her to see. "I have something that can make a shield like it."

Miyuki winces, realizing she maybe in trouble. "Damn…"

**Kira finishes his adjustments in time as a BuCUE moves in**

Attempting the same move that had thrown him off-balance earlier, but this time Kira kept his footing.

"Not this time!" Kira yelled. He steps to one side and smacks him with the Agni's stock.

At that moment, seeing that, Kira's eyes went wide, and an amethyst seed burst behind them. The tables had turned, the Strike was now properly adapted to the sand and its pilot was now mentally ready to take them on, and then some.

The next BuCUE that went in was greeted with by a hefty punch, Kira then plants the Strike's foot onto the underbelly of the machine, aiming the Agni at it. "Have some of this!"

The hyper-impulse canon erupted, annihilating the BuCUE whilst boosting the Strike up into the air. While he was up there, Kira spots a lone black and grey Legionnaire Dragonfly.

**"Not bad!" **

Master yells, as he came rushing toward Kira. "Now, let's see you go up against a real challenge, Strike!"

Kira raises his cannon and descends. The blast went at him, however, thanks to the Legionnaire's highly mobile hoverdyne form, he dodges it effortlessly with a spin move. He then fires a batch of missiles, which hit the ground by the Strike, sending up a wave of sand.

With that, the Dragonfly fires two blasts from a 175mm. M19 Beamrifle. "Think fast!"

The first blast goes through, melting some of the falling sand to glass. As the beam from the second shot went through the glass, it refracts the intense light, sending some of it back at the source.

Master used this technique before and dodged his own attack effortlessly. Kira, on the other hand, finds it melted away his anti-ship vulcan and gunlauncher.

"What?-!" Kira yells, as the Dragonfly came at him with a heathawk out and fires its shield minigun at him. Kira jumps out of the way but as he lands on the ground again, Rayer tosses three MB2 explosives at his feet, they explode in sequence. Though they didn't damage the Strike physically, the shock of the blasts adds to the strain on the Strike's depleting battery along with rattling the pilot.

But Kira quickly recovers as the Dragonfly goes in for the kill with its heathawk, parrying with its armor schneiders. He then uses his Igelstellungs on one of the missile launchers making it explode, causing damage to the Dragonfly's head and upper torso.

"Whoa!" Rayer pulls back after this, but not before peppering the strike with his own CIWs and AW18 guns, he then throws his heathawk which cleaves off the Strike's left hand and forearm.

Kira clicks his tongue.

**"Incredible..." **

Waltfeld murmurs. "That pilot has already adjusted to the sand... blew up one of my best people and is matching the Beast of Kaohsiung in close combat, all in just several minutes. That's quite a feat, even for us coordinators."

He then looks at his watch. "The Lesseps should be firing her missiles right about now. Let's see what he can do against that."

**Miyuki, still fighting Schellezar, was the first to notice the incoming warheads. **

"Archangel! Incoming!"

The captain and the XO react instantly.

"Set Igelstellungs to missile-intercept!" Natarle snaps, "Don't let those missiles close!"

"Activate engines!" Ramius orders, "We're a sitting duck if we don't get airborne!"

She glances down to CIC. "Where's Commander La Flaga?"

"Still closing with the enemy battleship, Ma'am," Mir reports. "He can't assist."

Murrue clutched the armrests of her chair, praying the ship to lift in time. _It can't end like this! Not after we've come so far, sacrificed so much!_

**Kira also spots the incoming warheads**.

And, despite having problems with Rayer's Dragonfly and the surviving BuCUEs and missing one arm, he raises the Agni hyper-impulse cannon. _This better work..._

As Murrue and the rest of the bridge crew braced for impact, they were blinded by a pair of massive streaks of light, turning the night sky alight.

Andrew Waltfeld lowered his binoculars, genuinely surprised. "Incredible..."

DaCosta blinks furiously, trying to clear his eyes. "What in the world just happened?"

Inside his Legionnaire, Master nodding with approval. "Not bad at all…"

Schellezar and Miyuki both stopped to watch.

"That quite a pilot you have there…" Vincent comments.

Despite not liking him, Miyuki nods in agreement. "You got that right."

Thanks to the 320 millimeter Agni canon there were no missiles left to worry about.

**On the Bridge**

"Commander La Flaga is returning, Captain" Mir calls, "He says there's nothing more he can out there... and he confirms that the enemy ship is a Lesseps-class."

"So Yuki was right," Murrue murmurs. "It was the Desert Tiger."

_At least we're going to survive this engagement_

**However, for Kira, **

"Gotcha!"

Rayer was coming at him again, firing his beam gun, which melts away the barrel of the Agni cannon, now making it useless.

"That is enough!" Kira yells as he ejects the cannon, and again pulls out a combat knife with his remaining hand.

He thrusts the knife into the right forearm of the Dragonfly, causing it to let go of its rifle. But before Kira could finish it off with his Igelstellungs, Master sticks on to him his last MB2 explosive charge, the resulting blast causes the phase shift to go down completely.

"Game over," The Dragonfly was about to go for the kill when he was suddenly struck on the side with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Kira looks to one side, he sees several jeeps approaching, with RPG-wielding resistance fighters aboard. One of them skids to a stop right next to the Strike, and one of its occupants fires a communications cable at the mobile suit.

_"Attention, pilot of this mobile suit,"_ a voice then said in Kira's ears._ "If you feel like living, do exactly as I say."_

Kira was about ask, "Do what?", when a map appears on his display, with spot marked with an "X".

"Okay," he responded, though unsure of this unexpected event, he had no choice. His alternative, fighting the last BuCUEs and the Legionnaire by himself wasn't very attractive.

"I'm on my way."

The Strike jumps through the air, using what power it had left for short, boost hops across the sandy ground. The BuCUEs follow closely, unaware they were walking into a trap.

It was a matter of only a few moments for the Strike to reach the marked location, at which point Kira was high into the air above. When BuCUEs got, Cagalli, the girl from Heliopolis, held up a device that looked like a detonation trigger.

"Gotcha," Smiling cruelly, she hit the first switch, causing a series of explosions that blast the desert under the BuCUE's feet. Then, once they were deep in the hole made, she pushed the second, red button.

The final and fatal explosion reduces the quadruped mobilesuits to little more than pieces of scrap metal.

**In the distance**

Andrew Waltfeld lowers his binocular one last time, seemingly calm despite losing five of his men.

"Its time for us to go," He tells his second in command, "We got all we need. Call back what's left of the choppers and our mercs, we're done for today."

DaCosta quietly nods, as the jeeps went back to the Lesseps.

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**The sun slowly rose in the horizon, **

The heat was slowly beginning to climb, once again the angry sun glared over the land.

The people who helped the Archangel out seemed to be the local resistance fighters of the area. The Archangel was on the ground with a complete landing. The Strike stood, with what was left of it, as the group of unknown numbers stood below it.

The Bravo team finally reached the Archangel, they were surprised to find the battle was over. After a brief chat with the bridge people, they move in to secure the Strike and made sure the people below didn't do anything funny.

Meanwhile, in the hangar, Earth Forces soldiers were getting ready to go meet with there saviors. Mu La Flaga, Natarle Badgiruel, Kojiro Murdoch, Miyuki Kajiura and Murrue Ramius were with them. Murdoch, because he was considered as an officer to his men down in the hangar, and was added to the group.

"Do they look friendly to you, Captain?" Natarle wonders

Murrue shrugs, just as unsure. "Hard to say, Ensign."

"Resistance fighters?" Mu suggests.

"Probably," Miyuki replies. "ZAFT's not very popular around here. The thing is, what would they want to talk with us for?"

Murdoch shrugs, "Beats me. I got no clue of what's goin' on either."

"I guess I'd better go out there," Ramius said finally. "They're not pointing any weapons, let's at least show some courtesy and talk with them. Besides, we have the Bravo unit covering us."

She felt a stab of unease as she turned to the hatch. "You have the Bridge, Ensign, you will have control until we return."

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**Murrue arrives to the lowest level of the Archangel**

Lt. Com. Mu La Flaga waits at the hatch.

"I guess I should warn you," he began with a sly smile, "I'm not too good in these 'sticky situations'."

This earns him a smile, a quick one, but still a smile.

"We'd better go," She then says.

Outside, they found Antonio Le Saint Claire, Michael Takahashi and Jethro Lance Mills waiting for them, all of them were wearing desert-camo fatigues.

"Hello, Captain," Jethro greets first, "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Top," Ramius replied, genuinely glad to see him. Though he might seem to be recluse at times, she was really quite fond of the old NCO. He reminded her of her late grandfather.

Miyuki walks up to give her cousin a hug, "Ton-Ton…"

"Hey cuz…" Antonio replies as she hugs her back.

"Hey, Ant, Mike." Mu began gives them both a high five, "What're you guys doing here? On a new mission?"

The older man shrugs. "It's classified until we've done it, Mu. If you find out, we'd have to kill you and spirit your body to who knows where."

Murrue Ramius nods, not particularly surprised, "Does this mean you're planning to stay with us again?"

He raises an eyebrow, thinking for a moment. "Depends, Skipper, but let's just say that may be a possibility."

Michael nods his head toward the waiting armed fighters. "C'mon, let's go see what our guerrilla friends want. None of them are giving us a straight answer."

Mu nods, "After you, Mike."

The six of them and the several men from the Archangel move out to meet the resistance fighters who just happened to appear at such a convenient time.

**Sahib Ashman watches them approach, **

He observes Michael and Antonio in particular, he recognizes them thanks to Cagalli. _So… the Spartans of Hell and Waves have come to this land as well…_

"So," he said simply, when the Archangel group reached them. "We meet at last."

Ramius nods.

"It's only proper that we should thank you," she begins. "You did save our ship and mobile suits, after all."

"I'm Murrue Ramius," she introduces herself, "Lieutenant Commander, Earth Alliance Forces Eighth Fleet. I'm the acting-Captain of this ship."

"And I'm Antonio Le Saint Claire," Her fellow former Halberton protégé followed, "Colonel, UNAAF Special Taskforce Unit Bravo, Unit commander."

Sahib nods. "We are known as the Desert Dawn. I go by the name Sahib Ashman. You need not bother thanking us, we weren't fighting merely to help you. ZAFT happens to be our enemy, as well, that's all."

"That's fine with me," La Flaga replies. "So it's you guys against the Desert Tiger, huh? Fighting for awhile?"

Sahib looked at him strangely. "I recognize you, but I cannot say how, or from where."

"My name is Mu La Flaga," the pilot replies. "Don't know a living soul in these parts."

The guerrilla leader nods. "I never expected to meet the Hawk of Endymion in a place such as this," he admits.

The group all exchange surprised looks, Murrue quickly recovers. "You seem to be very well informed," she said curiously. "Do you also know about us?"

"You are the crew of the Earth Forces new mobile assault ship, yes? You descended to Earth to escape the Le Creuset team. And, that machine of yours is..."

"X105 Strike," Cagalli supplies from behind him. "That's what they call this thing. It's one of the Earth Forces' new prototype mobile suits, from Heliopolis."

Antonio and Michael's eyes widen when she spoke, they hadn't noticed her until then. Their eyes meet hers, neither blinked. That's when they realize that the tall long haired man next to her was Col. Ledonir Kisaka.

_Cagalli_, both men thought. _What the hell did get yourself into this time?_

Sahib glances at her sharply, probably to warn her not to say too much.

"So," he continues. "How good it is that you know who we are, and we know who you are. I must say, though, that I was surprised to see you land in such an unfortunate location. I can only assume you came here by accident." He paused, thinking about the possibilities this provided. "But now that you're here..."

"Can we count on your complete cooperation?" Murrue and Antonio both said at the same time to each other's surprise and to Mu, Mike and Miyuki's amusement.

Sahib smiles knowingly. "If you're serious about talking, you should lower your guns first." He looks up at the now-motionless and powered-down Strike and the other mobilesuits. "They should disarm as well."

"Very well, then," Murrue replies first. "Ensign Yamato," she called, "Come down here."

"Safety on, boys." Antonio calls to his men through radio, "C'mon out."

The Bravo pilots and Amon were a little hesitant, but they follow orders. They all quickly lower themselves in via zipline, all of them also wore uniforms similar to what the Antonio was wearing. Frank wore an Aussie bush hat, his signature since his days in the Fire corps.

In the Strike, Kira readily undoes his harness and quickly opens the hatch.

Cagalli watches with aloof interest as the pilot in black, blue, and white lowered himself to the ground.

_He's just a teenager,_ she thought as Kira walks toward them, accompanied by Frank, Luke, Daniel and Amon.

Then he removes his helmet, and that when she gasps. _But that... that's the guy from Heliopolis, the one who shoved me into that shelter._

Without thinking, Cagalli broke away from the group and ran up to the pilot.

"So it is you," she said, stopping less than a meter away.

Kira blinks, confused. _Huh? Who's she?_

"Why-?" She glares at him, "What is someone like _you_ doing here, huh?"

Without warning, she threw a punch at him. Kira caught it easily, he then finally recognizes her. "That's right, you're that person I met back at Morgenroete!"

"Let go of me, you jerk!" She jerks her hand free, lands a good jab on his face.

"Cagalli!" Sahib yells.

Without another word, she stalks away, now seemed to be just as puzzled by her actions as everyone else was.

_Why did I do that? He hasn't done anything to me, after all._

Antonio raised an eyebrow at her himself, remembering that it was Kira who helped her escape Heliopolis.

_That's a weird way to say, 'thank you'._

There was a moment of quite discussion between Sahib and Cagalli, and then the guerrilla leader turned back to the Archangel's officers. "I think we have much to discuss, Captain Ramius. If you'll return to your ship, we'll take you to our base."

Ramius nods. "Very well. I look forward to it, Mr. Ashman."

**Murrue and the others turn and head back to the Archangel**

Along the way, Antonio goes beside her.

"If you don't mind, Captain, I'll need Murdoch and his fellas plus several transports." He said quietly. "Me and the boys need to get the gear we left in our drop point."

"Of course," She replies. Her curiosity then got the better of her. "Can you at least give a hint of why you're here?"

Antonio thought for a moment, "We're here to get a guy, DOA, dead is okay, but preferably better alive."

Murrue nods, not asking further.

"By the way," Antonio then continues, sounding a little embarrassed. "Sorry for being late. Again."

Murrue smiles, remembering he was also late during their 'date'. "Apology accepted."

As they continue to walk, Daniel spots something in the distance, he frowns but decided to let it go. There's nothing they could about it any way, so he shuts up.

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**About a quarter mile away**

Master Pierce Rayer, former Pilus Prior of the Water Corps, spies on the two groups through his binoculars while remaining prone on top of a dune. Several meters behind him was the jeep he borrowed from the Tiger. He focuses his interest on Kira Yamato, the GAT-X105 Strike's pilot. He was surprised to find he was younger than he was and suspected he was a coordinator.

But still, even if he was a coordinator, he had to have some genuine talent with mobilesuits to be able to pull off what he did.

_It's been a while since I had a decent challenge outside the Spartans… This should be interesting._

Pierce lowers the binocular and stood up, dusting himself off as he walk toward the jeep.

"I'll look forward for our next meeting, Strike."

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**A/N: **I wasn't intending for Master vs. Kira, he's supposed to have been Miyuki's opponent and Schellezar is Antonio's. But I kinda like this setup better, so this may be the line up for the next one.

Heh, it sucks to be late. But still, Waltfeld's first attack has been thwarted and the Archangel crew and Desert Dawn have met. Also, we get additional back story on my boys and find that at least two members of the Bravo team have skeletons on their closet. The only guys left I haven't really show their back story are Mike, Wynn, Jethro and Daniel, that should change soon.

Plus, the Covenant has been revealed. This little group will be rearing its head again pretty soon.

The battles in this weren't too bad, the Strike finally gets some significant damage thanks to Pierce's tactics and Vincent Schellezar keeping Miyuki contained so as she won't have an impact like she did last battle.

Overall, it's not too bad. Though, I'm going to be planning some over-the-top combat soon in the incoming chapters, especially when they get to Banadiya. I'm not making guarantees that it'll be cool, but it'll definitely be out of the normal canon.

Also in the next chapter, we'll be heading back to the Plants a bit to see what's up with Visch and the others. Plus, I'm planning to get my Eurasians back for another round.

And for those who're wondering, the family name I gave Aisha is my own creation, it's Chinese that pretty much means "beautiful phoenix", Li (beautiful) Feng (phoenix). It suits her very well, personally.

**BTW**- I may start posting the Fog of war sidestory the same time as this fic's next update.

Well, that's it for now, R&R please.

-Watchman


	21. Phase17: Battle in the Sands

**A/N: **The fight scenes here are going to be a fairly conventional, I'm saving the real crazy stuff for the later chapters.

**Phase 17: Battle in the Sands**

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**The ****Archangel**** was on route toward the Desert Dawn's base. **

Lt. Miyuki Kajiura enters the hangar. She spots her new good friend Murdoch looking up toward the Chimera.

"What's up, Chief?" She calls with a little humor intended as she walked toward him.

"Check his guy out, he's been completely rebuffed." The mechanic points a thumb at the unit in front of him. "The UN guys replaced every square inch of the armor plating. It's almost as if it never fought in the last month. I hear, it also got a new Quantum AI, top-of-line from what I hear. Plus he's got two new striker packs."

Miyuki nods, looking at the Chimera herself. "Centurion and Myrmidon, one for close range combat and the other for water combat. They should help us get to JOSH-A big time."

He gives her an insightful look. "I was wondering… are the Chimera's Striker packs…?"

"Theoretically, they are compatible." Miyuki replies, "I'd be interesting to put the Sol Striker on the Skygrasper. I should talk to Ton-ton about that."

She looks at Murdoch, "Chief, I want to get the spare Aile pack and hardmount it to the Phantom."

"I guess the Strike Ginn's not going to be enough anymore, eh?" The head mechanic looks at her, as she nods, "Sure, but where should I put the anti-ship swords then?"

"I'll think about it. Just work on mounting that Aile pack for now."

"I'll get the boys working on it." He scratches his head. "Well, Lieutenant, I'd better get back to fixing the Strike. You never know when this ship might be attacked again"

"I'll see ya later then, Chief." Miyuki heads to leave the hangar.

After the doors leading to the hangar close behind her, she holds up her right hand. It was shaking, she wasn't sure if it was fatigue or fear. Schellezar's mobilesuit had given her a hard time during the battle. Even though she given him in several well aimed blows, though it was all for naught thanks to the Lightwave shield. The Strike Ginn wasn't going to be enough anymore, it was fine out in space, but the advantages it had there were no longer available to it.

She had to get the Phantom ready for desert combat, and soon.

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**Gibraltar Base**

"I'm glad to see you made it safe and sound," Le Creuset said on the monitor. "That was a pretty tough battle you three went through."

"Nearly ended up in a body bag," Dearka Elsman nods. "Could have been worse, though."

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm afraid that you're going to be stuck there a while longer, though," the masked commander went on apologetically. "There are currently no plans to bring you back to space, Command believes you may be of more use to the war right where you are." He shrugs. "So for now, you're under Lenneth Carrington's command, though she's currently on standby if the legged ship appears in her area, she will go and attempt to take it out. I expect you will assist her in any way.

"Got it, Commander," Dearka pauses. "By the way, sir, I've been hearing a lot about Commander Knowles down here…"

Le Creuset frowns. "Apparently, she's planning to head for Earth herself soon. Fortunately, as she's going to the African Community."

"That's a relief, at least." Dearka mutters, "Is there anything else, sir?"

"No, that's it for now. Good luck, to both of you." Le Creuset's disappears.

Dearka turns to his companions with a look of disgust. "We're to remain on Earth? Work with the Gibraltar forces? Well, at least we might be able to finally take down the legged ship."

Nicol Amalfi only nods, Yzak Joule doesn't respond.

Instead, he continues staring at the wall, brooding. He then reaches up for the bandages that wrapped a part of his face.

"Hey, cut it out!" Dearka yells. "You shouldn't-!"

"Yzak!" Nicol raises a hand to stop him.

Yzak brushes it off and throws the bandages to one side, the skin was healed, but it was badly scarred.

"That legged ship's going down all right," he hisses. "And I'll be the one to do it!"

Unknown to the three pilots, someone was eavesdropping on them. Belenus Maxwell, Lenneth's second in command and Quintilis City Representative Jeremy Maxwell's younger brother, leans beside the doorway to the comm. room.

_So… The Strike's pilot is even skilled enough to defeat Joule, eh? In close combat at that…_

Belenus knew Yzak Joule, though he wasn't one of the best around, he was no push-over.

He walks off.

_If the legged ship appears within our vicinity, Commander Lenneth will definitely go for her. The question is… will she be willing to kill her?_

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**Somewhere in the Libyan Desert**

After several hours, the Archangel arrived at the Desert Dawn's encampment, the officers had gone to meet with Sahib and his people, and their mobile suits had covered the ship with camo netting,

Miyuki examines the base to which the Desert Dawn had led them. It appeared to consist of several large caves, set within a small canyon, it was a tight hiding place for the Archangel but a decent one.

_Hopefully, Andy Waltfeld doesn't already know this place…_

She then realizes she was being watched, and turns her head slightly to see who it was. She finds Cagalli, who seemed to be studying her as intently as she was studying the base.

"You know," she began, "If you want to know something, you can just ask."

Cagalli twitches, "I wasn't- I mean-"

"Relax," she walks over, holding her mechanic's shirt over her shoulder as it flew with the wind. "If I were you, I'd be just as doubtful too. ZAFT turncoats are rare after all, and there's a chance I maybe a double agent. That's what you're thinking, right?"

"Something like that," she admits.

Miyuki knew exactly who Cagalli was, Antonio had asked her to go along with the charade with the others.

"I guess you want a word with me," she began. "If you do, we should find someplace a little more private."

Without waiting for a response, the older woman began walking up to higher ground, heading for a spot overlooking the Archangel. , After some thought with herself, Cagalli hurries to follow her.

"You're right," she said when they reach the top. "I do have a few things to say to you, unless you'd rather not hear it."

To her annoyance, the veteran pilot merely smirks at her.

"Do your worst, Athha," she said easily.

"Oh really?" Cagalli snorts. "Then let me be frank, Kajiura: I thought we had the same kind of ideals, but someone like that wouldn't have turned her coat as easily as you did."

Miyuki's eyes narrow. "You think it was easy for me to leave ZAFT behind? When you've got no idea how much this war has taken from me? Would you stand by and watch as your comrades went and commit genocide?"

"If something like that were going on in the first place," Cagalli glares back. "I'd have worked to change it from within, not shoot at my friends."

"Oh really," Miyuki sneers. "And here I thought you didn't like ZAFT in the first place."

"I don't," Cagalli said bluntly. "If I did, I wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. And if you were the honorable soldier everyone and Antonio say you are, you wouldn't be here, either."

Miyuki raises an eyebrow.

"You have a problem with me, Cagalli?" She said evenly, "And I think it's beyond questions of my credibility. Mind explaining?"

She gave her a challenging look. _Fine, if she wants to hear it _that_ badly..._

"You were at Heliopolis," she said finally, glaring. "You were, and still are, one of the project heads of the G-project. Are you going to tell me you're not the reason ZAFT got that information? It's too much of a coincidence. If you ask me... maybe what happened that day was your handiwork."

Those last words struck deep into Miyuki like a dagger, and her anger slowly began show.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Cagalli," she said coldly. "If you knew what this war cost me, you'd understand that I never wanted to be part of it again."

"What you want doesn't matter much, does it?" Cagalli snorts in disrespect. "I think you gave that data to ZAFT, then decided you'd gotten in over your head, and-"

"Shut up!" Miyuki hisses, "You've got no idea what you're talking about, all this time you've stayed nice and safe in your neutral nation, you have no idea at all of what's happening outside your safe little world!"

"Then tell me," Cagalli yells back. "What don't I know that explains how you're the one who's just here, without any responsibility for-?"

"I never said I didn't have any responsibility," she snaps. "Believe me, I have more than my fair share. Fighting day in, day out, watching those who matter to you get killed one by one, or coming within just a hair of stopping a nuclear attack but ending up losing a quarter million people and your husband because you missed!" She clenches her fists. "So don't you dare tell me about 'responsibility'!"

Cagalli was surprised by the anger she had provoked, but she wasn't about to apologize.

"Ahem," someone clears his throat not too far from them, both turn to see who it was. They find Antonio with arms crossed, and frowning.

It was typical for Cagalli and Miyuki to be fighting. They had this love/hate –or love to hate– relationship, sometimes they were bosom buddies, and other times they'd just love to tear each other apart.

But sometimes, things do get out of hand.

"If you two are done," he continues. "I want a word with you, Cagalli. Alone."

The two give each other one last glare before Miyuki stalks off.

"**I just had a little talk with Kisaka," **

Antonio leans against the wall near a cave. "You've been busy… fighting for a patch of desert you haven't been before until the recent months…"

"Tassil is Kisaka's hometown," Cagalli points out, "Orb may be neutral, but they'd understand if he wanted to go help his people liberate their home."

"Understandable," he grants that. "However, I know Kisaka, if this were a personal matter, why would he allow you to come along?"

_He's sharp as usual,_ she thought with a silent sigh. "You're something else, you know that?"

"Yeah, I guess," He replies calmly.

She shook her head, "You remember what my father said to me once when we got into one of our arguments relating to Orb's 'neutrality'?"

"That you don't know what is happening outside of Orb?" He silently nods, "I see… So you came here to see the world yourself and so that he won't have that logical high ground anymore over you."

"Hmph, that sounds just like you." Antonio shakes his head, "Okay, we'll leave it that. But your father's definitely not going to be happy when you two get back, though."

"Let him do his worst," she snorts. "Not it'll matter anyway."

"You really think that? He's just worried for you, y'know."

"That was a long time ago," she replies bluntly. "He doesn't give damn about me anymore, he's more concerned of how much to his credibility to the Alliance and ZAFT."

Antonio thought for while before continuing.

"Mike and Miyuki were worried." He then says, "I was worried."

He then looks toward her, "Does that count?"

The two of them kept silent after that looking out toward the base.

After a while, Antonio breaks the silence. "I should be going. The meeting with your boss should be starting now."

She simply nods, not looking at him. "I'll see you later then."

Antonio doesn't answer, he simply walks down the hill with his hands thrust into his pockets. He then stops and looks over his shoulder.

"By the way, you should really at least apologize to the pilot you decked, he saved you in Heliopolis after all."

Cagalli blinks, this time looking toward him. "You knew?"

"I had plenty of time talking with him," he waves lazily. "'later, Athha."

It was about then that she felt she should be looking for the Strike pilot. Though she didn't look forward to it, she knew she ought to apologize to him for smacking him in the face.

**Desert Dawn Base, War Room **

"Glad you could join us, Colonel," Sahib said.

Antonio nods as he enters, Murrue, Mu, Natarle, Miyuki, Michael and Jethro were already there.

"How things go with Cagalli?" Michael calls.

"Not bad," he replies.

Natarle looks toward him, "You know that girl?"

"She's the daughter of an acquaintance of mine. She's here for personal reasons." He replies as he looks around the room at the others, "So… Shall we get started?"

"Right," the resistance leader replies, "If I'm not mistaken, you people are seeking passage to Alaska. Am I right?"

"That's what our orders say," Murrue confirms. "And that's where we'd be now, if we hadn't run into complications on the way into the atmosphere. As it is, we're left looking for the best -and preferably safest- route there."

He nods to himself. "I see. So, how well does that ship of yours fare in the atmosphere?"

"It can't fly at high altitudes," Natarle admits. "A few hundred meters, no more."

"Then it can't fly over a mountain." Sahib continues, "Then the only alternative, it would seem, would be to break through Gibraltar."

"No way we can do that," Mu said flatly.

"We have nine mobile suits and three Skygraspers, but that's hardly enough to beat Gibraltar's defenses." Antonio points out, "Next to Carpentaria, it's ZAFT's most heavily defended base on the planet. And the 'Steel Huntress' is assigned there."

"Lenneth's good at defense," Miyuki adds. "She'll make Gibraltar a very hard nut to crack."

Sahib nods again. "In that case, you could always try going east, through the Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean."

Natarle shook her head. "The Indian Ocean? Sure, we could make it, but not without resupplying along the way. We're running low as it is."

"But we could do it," Mu muses. "ZAFT's submarine forces might be a problem, but with the Archangel's firepower..."

Sahib snorts. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourselves? You'll have more difficulties than just supplies, and that's before you even get there. Or have you forgotten that just last night you were attacked by ZAFT desert forces?"

"Andrew Waltfeld," Michael murmurs. "Yeah, we have to take care of him first. Also, I heard he's in Banadiya. We have to go past near there to head to the Red sea."

"So before we worry about the supplies, we have to worry about him." Miyuki finally speaks out. "I've known Waltfeld. This won't be fun."

Ashman turned to her. "That's right, you too were at El Alamein, as an aerial support commander I believe. And the Tiger was a former Sword as well. So, what would you say the biggest difficulties in dealing with him are?"

"Well," Miyuki frowns, thinking. "I wouldn't worry too much about the land battleships, when the Archangel's airborne, she can even go one one-on-one with them if she has to. The Agile helicopters maybe hard to hit with ship weapons, but they aren't much for a Skygrasper. For that matter, they weren't too tough when I was flying with them against Spearheads last year. As for mobile suits... ZuOOTs are powerful, but extremely slow. They won't be much of a threat if we don't stay in one place too long. It's the BuCUEs we need to worry about. And maybe Ginn OCHERs, plus those other two mobiles suits…"

"The mobilesuit piloted by Vincent Schellezar," Jethro takes over. "Is called the CAT1-X Hyperion, it's made by the Eurasians for space combat, it's armed with a pair of CIWS, five RBW Type 7001 "Romteknica" beam knives, two "Forfanterie" beam cannons, a RFW-99 "Zastava Stigmate" beam sub-machine gun and its most unique offensive and defensive weapon, the "Armure Lumiere" mono-phase lightwave shield. That's what I got from Scandinavia's Royal Military Intelligence and our updated database, they had been aware of the unit for some time now. It's independent from the G-project."

Natarle shook her head, "That mobilesuit was made in Eurasia?"

"It's a very good design," Miyuki comments. "And there's that Legionnaire, the pilot definitely isn't run of the mill, he definitely knows what he's doing in that thing. He took off one of the Strike's arms, that's closest anyone's been to actually damaging the Strike."

"Guys," She turns to the UN soldiers. "Anyone came to mind when you saw the video file on it?"

They look among each other with frowns, the others guessed they did and it was someone they prefer not to fight.

"Master Pierce Rayer," Antonio answers with a sigh. Miyuki and the Archangel's officers froze.

"The Beast of Kaohsiung…" Mu murmurs with disbelief, "Oh great… That guy's one of Ant's best pilots and he's also known for BuCUE piloting."

"You're lucky he wasn't in a BuCUE last night," Antonio continues. "Combined with this desert, he can be a major threat."

An uncomfortable silence settled within the room, everyone stared on the map. Their prospects didn't look good.

"Still," Michael cuts in, making the most of the situation. "It'll be days before Waltfeld does on us anything again, he's going to wait for a while, then try again to get the drop one us. Plus, he has to find us first."

"Right…" Murrue muses, "Which still leaves us with the problem of supplies."

Sahib shrugs. "I wouldn't worry about that just yet, Captain. It'll be several days yet at least, before we even get a plan ready for dealing with the enemy. It's not as if we can get everything worked out overnight. We need to time to plan, prepare, and regroup."

"Agreed."

**Kira stood on another hill, overlooking the site. **

_So here we are,_ he thought._ Right in the middle of a resistance fighters' base, in the middle of a desert. Never thought I'd end up in a place like _this_. Well, it could be worse. At least Bravo's back with us._

Sai walks by, "Excellent job."

Presuming he meant the camo netting, Kira shrugs. "Yeah, sure. I guess."

Then he saw someone was coming up the slope toward him, it was Cagalli, an odd expression on her face. "Huh?"

She stops about a meter away, and looked at the ground. "I apologize for earlier, 'kay?" She says straight, "I didn't actually mean to hit you." Then, realizing how ridiculous that sounded, she revises it, "Well... I suppose I did. But it was spur of the moment, forgive me."

Kira was a little surprised, but then chuckles.

"What are you laughing at?" Cagalli demanded, irritated.

He sat on the ground, smiling a bit. "Well, now think about it."

She also sits down, finally managing to relax herself.

"You've been on my mind since," She then admits. "Worried, I guess… Asking myself, what might have happened to you…" The blond-haired girl looked up at the Strike. "But then you turn up out of nowhere, flying one of those things. And worse yet, you're now with the Earth Forces."

Kira stays silent for a long while.

"A lot of things have happened along the way," he said finally. "And I do mean a lot…"

**A little later, inside one of the caves**

Michael and Antonio both enter a cave that Sahib used as his private quarters. Antonio had asked for this meeting after the one with the one with Archangel's officer were present ended. He specifically asked for more privacy, so it was just him, Michael and the Desert Dawn leader. Sahib had his guards at the entrance, close enough assist in case something happened but far enough so as not to overhear anything.

"So you're the ones they call the Spartan Eternals," Sahib greets them as they sat with him beside the table. "I have to admit, this is an encounter I never expected to have."

"The feeling's mutual," Antonio replies, with a courteous nod "Mr. …Ashman, I believe?"

Sahib inclines his head. "Kisaka tells me you're here for business not originally concerning the Earth Forces ship, is this true?"

"We're here on unrelated an affair," Antonio explains, "Though we cannot clarify on what it is for the time being, unless we need to."

"Yeah," Michael speaks up. "We were surprised to find the Archangel ourselves."

"I see," The leader of the Desert Dawn narrows his eyes. "Does this business have anything to do with one of your former men working for the Tiger?"

"No," Antonio counters, "It's not. You said it yourself, he's a former subordinate. What he does these days is not any of my business. It's his life."

Sahib grunts. It made sense, his question had merely been a test. "Are those guns I see the only weapons you're carrying?"

Both men look at each other, they both reply without words.

Michael shrugs and places his SIG Sauer P226 on the table, along with several throwing knives and a switch blade. Antonio sets down a USP45CT, he replaced his standard USP9 because it started having some jamming problems. He also puts down the .44 S&W revolver, K-bar and a Japanese kunai throwing dagger.

The resistance leader had the distinct feeling that the weapons on the table weren't the only surprise the two carried. But they passed the test.

"You're fairly known for keeping your word, Legate," Sahib said at last, Antonio raises his eyebrow slightly. He just addressed him in his old Spartan rank, this man was very well informed.

"For now," He continues. "That's good enough, though I'd strongly recommend you two not make any... hasty moves."

"We don't have death wishes, Ashman." Michael replies with a smirk. "You don't have worry about that."

"You have our word," Antonio rests his elbows on the table. "Now, shall we talk?"

The Euro-Pac war hero tells him of their assignment and of their target quarry, and why the Equatorial Union and Scandinavia want him.

"So," Ashman looks ay him. "You're saying you'll require the Desert Dawn's assistance?"

Antonio nods, "Yes, your men's knowledge of Banadiya and the surrounding area would be invaluable enough."

Sahib examines him for a moment, "What would we have in exchange of our cooperation?"

Antonio shrugs, "We can train your men, maybe enough to even convince the Covenant to supply you with newer equipment… And if the opportunity arises, we could help you take out the Tiger."

The resistance leader nods, he was getting a very enticing offer, especially with mention of weapons that can truly hurt the tiger's operations, "I'll need time think about it."

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**That night, **

As some of the resistance fighters began to turn in, Antonio spots the young man he's seen Cagalli with since he hand seen her earlier in the day.

"You're Ahmed, am I right?" he said, sitting next to him, to the fire, "Cagalli's driver?"

The younger fighter nods. "That's me." Ahmed raised his eyebrows. "You're the guy Sahib and the others call the Spartan of Hell, right?"

"I'm the Spartan of Waves actually. You can call me Antonio." He replies, "Though I was late for the battle, I saw your driving stunts, in the ship's video footage, when you showed up at the Archangel. I suggest you be a little more careful. If Cagalli ever gets hurt, needless to say I'm going to be rather angry."

Ahmed stares at him. "What's with you?"

"I happen to be her legal guardian at the absence of her father," Antonio looks at him in the corner of his eye. "I've seen how you act around her, I know you have your feelings for her. But you shouldn't risk getting her killed just to impress her, you not the only one who cares for her y'know."

He smiles, "I was like that when I was about you age. I tried impressing my future wife, almost killing her in the process. I'm doing you a favor, kid. Quit while you're still ahead, before you really regret it."

The resistance fighter nods, "Then how can I get her attention then?"

"Since you're her driver, you're responsible for protecting her when she's with you in the artillery truck or whatever else you drive. Her life is your hands, not her bodyguard." Antonio lights a cigarette, brushing it briefly into the fire. "Try your best to keep her safe no matter how close you to danger. If you really care for her, protect her with your life."

He then looks at him with a smirk, "It'll take time, but trust me. You WILL get her attention."

Ahmed, though not quite convinced, nods. "I'll try my best. She's important to you too right?"

"She's family to me."

"I see," He young man nods and stands up, "In that case, I should be go check the truck we use. T'see if it's alright. I'll see you later then."

Antonio nods with a smirk. "That's a start, get at it."

He chuckles as he watches Ahmed eagerly run toward the camp's motor pool, he pinches the ember of his cigarette and pockets it.

Jut then, Ens. Natarle Badgiruel walks toward him and sitting opposite to where Ahmed was. "I see you had a little talk with that girl's driver."

"We reached an understanding." He sheepishly replies

"I heard," She raises an eyebrow at him, "Along with giving him lessons to be a Le Saint Claire-style lover."

Antonio bursts out laughing at the remark. "I just gave a nudge to the right direction."

They then kept quiet, both of them looking toward the fire.

After a while, Natarle breaks the silence. "So you're serious about that protecting with your life part?"

"Yeah," He sighs, "I do that to everyone I care for. That's why chose to try and protect the Archangel again last night. I didn't have to do it, y'know."

Natarle nods still looking at the fire, "I know."

She hesitates at first, but she slowly gets even closer to him. Antonio knew what she was doing, he get an arm around her waist and gently pulls her toward him. Natarle blushes as their bodies made contact. She places her hand on the hand holding her, caressing softly. As she did so, she places her head on his shoulder. He takes her cap off so as she rest more easily, placing it on side.

Natarle closes her eyes, breathing in his familiar scent. Antonio places his hand on her head, tenderly stroking her hair, before pressing his own face to it to breathe her in.

It's been quite a while since the last time they had been intimate with each. The two stare toward the fire, mesmerized. They sat nothing for a length of time, until Natarle again breaks the silence.

"Anton…" She whispers, "I have something to say…"

"What is it?" He whispers back.

"I…" Natarle stops, "I…"

_No… not now… not when we're like this…_

"I love you." That wasn't the message she intended to tell him, that could wait. In a more proper time, now was not it.

Antonio wasn't the least bit curious to why she hesitated, she knew her as one to be shy for things like this.

He was more focused at the one spying them in the shadows. He was sure it was him, he was aware of his feelings to Natarle, though he never had the nerve admit them to her. From what Antonio understood, she was in his eyes since their academy days.

But Antonio knew he wasn't going anything desperate, the man's got discipline and was smarter than that. Antonio even felt sorry for him.

Sort of.

_But you had your chance_, Antonio thought. _She's mine now._

"I love you too."

**Up on the starboard deck of the Archangel, **

Lt Col. Michael Takahashi was doing a little exercise, practicing his sword kata. He was dressed in a traditional garb, a white gi shirt and a black hakama. He wore this out of habit and in tradition to the first martial art he learned, Kendo. He also practiced its original form, Ken-jitsu, one of many arts the ancient Japanese samurai utilized. He took off his glasses so as they won't fall off as he trained.

Every single man in his family practiced the art to a degree, learning it through the family sword style, "Takahashi Ryu Mugen", Takahashi Dragon Style, a style focused on powerful low to mid stance thrusts and fast slashes.

His father was the current master of the style, which was the reason why he was the head of the Takahashi family, one of the five noble families of Orb, who are known as the military arm of Orb. Much of the family worked in the Defense Force and any ordinance or bill that involves it must have their approval if it had any hope of being passed. On top of that, they had most shares and influence inside Morgenroete.

Michael knew he would succeed his father someday as the master, along with the responsibilities as the head of the family. He felt a little daunted about it, but he also felt proud. He came a long way from a spoiled, rich brat to become who he was now.

He stood in the middle of deck, eyes closed, and his blade in front of him.

With one deep breath, he launches himself into a flurry of slashes and thrusts, letting out a loud kiai with each one. He held his katana with both hands, their grips changed as the blade whistles through the air, tightening at beginning of a swing, loosening at a pause, his wrists also operated in a similar fashion.

His katana had a copper colored sword guard, the hilt was white and wrapped in a black cord. The hamon pattern that decorated the blade, when you looked closely resembled a long oriental dragon especially on the tip of the blade.

Each attack bore a striking resemblance to the Siginarugan's own, which wasn't too surprising to those who know its pilot.

After Michael makes the last move of the routine, he takes another deep breath as he flicks the wrist that held the sword. After an actual battle, this act would throw off any blood that remained in the sword.

He slips the sword back into its sheath blade up, as his other hand's thumb touches the sharp cutting edge as in goes in. As the sword guard meets the mouth of the scabbard, it makes an audible click. Michael then fastens the blade in place with a length of fabric that around the hilt and guard.

He then someone clapping, he turns to the direction of the door leading to the elevator and finds the ship's captain Murrue Ramius.

"That was very good," She comments as she walks toward him. "I've seen Miyuki do something like that but I never seen her do that fast."

Michael smiles, "Thanks, it's because of longer training though. I've been this doing since I was a six, Yuki started when she was fourteen. If we started the same time, she would've probably been better than me."

"So…" Michael walks towards a duffel bag place in one corner of the deck. "I guess you came here to talk of something else other than my swordsmanship."

Murrue nods, "It's about the Desert Tiger…"

"Not surprising," Michael puts on his glasses, "What'cha want to know?"

"Miyuki mentioned that he was… you know… her ex?" She felt very uncomfortable of the subject, "You knew the Tiger, was he that close to her?"

Michael pauses from taking off his gi, "He talked about her a lot, even though he was seeing this other girl. It's safe to say they're pretty close. And in turn, Miyuki talked a lot about him, even when she was married."

He knew where this conversation was going, so he decides to just cut to the chase, Michael looks up at the younger woman straight in the eye.

"But that won't cloud her loyalties, skipper." He continues, "Miyuki will still be at her best defending the AA, don't worry."

"Even go as far as killing him?" She asks him, obvious concern in her voice.

He took the time to think over his next reply, "Yes, she will."

"But I don't think it'll be likely," He continues. "After all, we're talking about the Desert Tiger here, I doubt he'll let himself into danger unless he really needs to, which is very rare."

Michael stands up placing a hand over her shoulder, "And even if she does, she's more than ready for it. In fact, she probably already accepted she may have to kill him in that first battle. She's much stronger than you think, have faith on her, she survived the war so far after all."

"I guess you're right," The Captain nods. "Sorry for bothering you with this…"

"It's no trouble," Michael replies as goes back to what he was doing

"Thank you," She watches him slips his sword and sheath into a black carrying satchel bag made for it. "By the way… I hear some of you guys name your swords. Does yours have one?"

Michael nods, "'Shin-Ryuu', Dark Dragon."

**Elsewhere,**

Jethro was on the little used aft deck of the Archangel. He had set a Com-Sat unit up there, he was making an unscheduled call to his closest colleagues who were in Banadiya.

"Axton, this Arkham." He calls, "There has been a slight detour to the A2's entry.

"We read you, Arkham. Where are you, now?" a voice calls.

"We're here in the desert with a local resistance group, please inform Portinari that there's been another change to the schedule."

"Copy Arkham, we'll inform her immediately, Axton out."

Jethro shuts off the Com-Sat, he couldn't afford it to online, lest he wants to be traced. He sighs, reflecting to the things he had to go through.

The Bravo team's sudden assignment to Libya was no coincidence, nor was the Archangel's meeting with members of the Junk guild in Junius Seven. Jethro had been an agent for the Covenant since the early 60's CE. He had to risk his cover so that the ship would survive the last few months, it wasn't easy.

The Covenant originally hoped to steal the Archangel in Heliopolis. Unfortunately, ZAFT decide to complicate the matter. But somehow, he was glad they didn't continue with that.

The original plan would have involved taking the ship with whatever necessary force, even if it meant killing the crew. He vehemently opposed when another attempt of this was proposed during the Bravo team's brief stay with the UN 2nd fleet. Maybe it was because he had become attached to the crew, but he found they were surprisingly tolerant to Coordinators than most, most especially the acting captain, Murrue Ramius.

That tolerance was most probably because of a certain young coordinator teen from Heliopolis. Kira Yamato, he was mostly polite, very helpful and had a childlike innocence, it was very hard not to like the lad. Aside from being a coordinator, he seems to be just an average kid, if only it weren't for his amazing performance on the Strike.

Jethro had been around coordinators in mobilesuit combat, even the best of didn't fight as well as he did on his first few sorties. But Kira did just that, and until the reached Earth, the Strike has never suffered significant damage throughout.

This was enough for Jethro to request a background check on Kira, what was found out was surprising. It turns out that Caridad and Haruna Yamato weren't his actual parents, and the identity of his biological parents weren't on file. And judging on how much trouble the analysts went to get that information, Jethro felt Kira was unaware that he wasn't born a Yamato. He had asked for the analysts to keep checking, and to update him when they found anything else.

Jethro stood up, packing up the Com-Sat.

It had been six years since he had resigned from the Atlantic Federation CIA, he spent his last year there an analyst after the top brass deemed him too old for field duty.

He never forgave them for that. Not that Jethro minds paper work, but he resented being desk-bound and being labeled, 'too old'. In fact, he betted that the newer recruits couldn't keep up with him.

Jethro started off in the AF Marine Corps, he was a foot soldier but he could operate a chopper and several aircraft, he also had a grasp of several languages. He got his first chance of espionage with Naval Intelligence, during the first Huffman war. He's been in the intelligence business ever since.

After he had been bounced off the CIA, he moves to the Equatorial Union and quickly found work in the military. And when the UN moved in, they offered him a spot in the UNAAF. Still, he hardly had much chance to be in the field. He met the same frustrations he experienced in the CIA, all because of his age. That was until the Eurasian-Pacific war broke out.

And when that came, all of a sudden, the intelligence groups didn't have enough agents on the field. Especially ones they can send into Eurasia. Jethro happily offered his services and quickly distinguishes himself, when it came to field Intel gathering, he was unmatched in efficiency, no even got close to his accomplishments.

After the war, Antonio had asked him to join up with his new team with the promise that'll let him go in the field, and here he was.

The oldest member of the Bravo team stands up with the case containing the Com-Sat in his hand. He stretches his legs and swings free arm a bit.

He takes a deep breath and heads back inside.

**Meanwhile,**

Cagalli was restlessly walking through the base's open areas. She wasn't sure exactly where she was going, but it seemed the only thing to do at the time.

Judging from occasional glimpses she'd gotten of Miyuki walking around the base and Daniel playing fetch with Rhiannon, she wasn't the only one with energy to burn this evening. She and Miyuki both pretended not to see each other when crossed each other's path.

Cagalli was nearing the Archangel's hatch when she heard voices from around the rock ahead.

"Just a minute, Flay!" One voice said. "What's up with you lately, anyway?"

The other voice was definitely irritated, "Just back off, Sai. Leave me alone, will you? I've got nothing to say to you right now."

"We need to talk," the first voice persisted. "You've been acting strange ever since-"

"Just shut up!"

At that moment, Flay Allster came around the corner, and came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Cagalli.

The two stared at each for a couple of seconds, and then Flay snorted and moves past.

Sai Argyle didn't even acknowledge her presence; he simply brushes past, intent on getting some answers from who was his fiancé. "Come on, Flay!"

To Flay's relief, Kira exits the Archangel's hatch.

"Kira!" she calls, running to him. "I'm glad you're here!"

Kira, confused to why she seems to be hiding behind him, he glances around. "What's wrong, Flay?"

He got his answer when Sai came into view. Cagalli chose that moment to duck behind a rock.

"There you are," the man with the orange glasses said. "Excuse me, Kira; I need to talk to Flay. It's not your business."

"Yes, it is!" Flay retorted before Kira could reply. "This has everything to do with him!" Her lips curled as she looked Sai. "Haven't you realized yet that Kira and I are together now?"

Sai's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Miyuki, standing on the hill above, sighs shaking her head. _I knew this was going to happen… Watch yourself, Kira; a guy who's just been dumped sometimes isn't in his right mind..._

Kira clearly felt uncomfortable, caught in the middle this way. But he had no intention of backing down either, should it come to that. _Flay's made her choice, Sai,_ he thought coldly. _Get over it_.

It didn't occur to him that he might not be acting rational, either.

Finally, Sai found his voice again. "Well, Flay?" he said harshly, ignoring Kira completely. "Explain this to me, please. You... you..."

"I don't see why I should explain myself to _you,"_ she said coldly. "It's over between us, all right? I've got nothing more to say to you about it." She looked at Kira. "Come on, Kira. Let's go."

Still uncomfortable, Kira was only too willing to comply.

"Just forget it, Sai," he advised. "There's... no need to talk about it." He turned away, leading Flay back up the steps to the Archangel's interior.

Sai stares at him incredulously. "No need to...? Come back here, Kira!"

"I'm still tired from the last battle," the Coordinator said without turning. "Just please... leave it be."

Cagalli could see that the older teen was about to attack Kira, and she started to move; though to do what, she wasn't sure. However, a hand closed on her wrist, and Miyuki murmurs, "Don't bother. It'll just get worse if we get involved."

"If you're sure..." she said dubiously.

"I'm sure, besides, Kira can handle himself." Miyuki assures, "Just watch."

"Kira!" Sai shouts.

And the next thing he knew, he'd been spun around, his right arm was pinned behind his back, and he sent three meters away from Kira. He landed in the sand, the wind thoroughly knocked out of him.

"If I took this seriously," Kira told him, tone a mix of disgust and anger, "you'd be a lot worse off. You wouldn't stand a chance against someone like me."

Staring at the pilot in shock, Sai manages a wheeze, "Kira...?"

"It's over, Sai," Kira said, turning away. "And you should know, Flay is the only Natural on this ship that's even tried to understand what I'm going through out there; what goes through my mind in a battle." Fists clenched, he shot an angry glance over his shoulder. "I'm more than just a machine or something, more than just a part of the Strike! You haven't even tried to understand me; it never even occurred to you, did it?" He turned away again. "You don't understand me, Sai. But Flay does... and you don't understand her, either. So do us both a favor, and let it go."

He resumed his walk into the Archangel, followed closely by a startled but pleased Flay. Neither of them paid any more attention to Sai who sat in the sand.

**"Ouch…" **

Miyuki comments, "That went well."

Cagalli stares at her. "You call that going well?"

She frowns. "Ever heard of sarcasm? Well…At least Kira stood up for himself. But something tells me I'll have to talk with Sai…"

She was interrupted by a sudden alarm, just as a radio she carried in her pocket beeped.

"What the hell's going on?" she mutters, putting the headset to her ear. "This is Kajiura. What's- Huh? …Roger that. I'll be back aboard momentarily. Kajiura out."

"What's going on?" Cagalli demanded as Miyuki put the com device back in her pocket.

"Tassil's under attack," she said calmly. "Seems like Andy Waltfeld decided to make an example of you, but I don't think he actually knows you've joined forces with us. I have to get to my suit."

The former commander of the Swords dashes into the Archangel, brushing past Kira and Flay. Cagalli turns to run for her own weapons.

Controlled chaos filled the resistance fighters' base, as everyone prepared for a fast rush to Tassil. Their home was under attack, and they had every intention of giving Andy Waltfeld and his ZAFT forces something else to worry about.

Kira and Flay, hearing the alarm that had echoed throughout the base, had stepped back outside, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. They could hear voices shouting to each other, one man sounded particularly frustrated, apparently unable to get a radio signal through to Tassil.

_We've got to do something,_ Kira thought. _They're under attack; we can't just sit here and do nothing._

He pulls away from Flay's grip, and races to the Archangel as fast as he could. The others, he knew, would already be getting ready for whatever the next battle would bring, and he didn't want to keep them waiting.

"Kira!" Flay calls, surprised by his abrupt departure, and ran to follow him, completely ignoring Sai. He finally gotten back to his feet, but he chooses not to follow.

"I'm pathetic," he whispers. "If I could fly the Strike, none of this would have happened..."

**As the Desert Dawn's jeeps and other vehicles were moving out,**

Cagalli came rushing out of one of the caves, a rocket launcher over her shoulder. She glances around for transportation of her own.

A jeep screeches to a halt right in front of her. "Need a lift, Cagalli?" Ahmed asks with a smile.

"Thanks, Ahmed." She jumps in, followed closely by her bodyguard, and they were off.

Daniel, Luke and Frank took one jeep and loaded their gear. Their mobilesuits were currently in maintenance, it'll take too much time to put them back online. Frank tosses in three Equatorial AM-20G 40mm. shoulder-carried anti-mobilesuit weapons and several warheads, designed and manufactured by SK Kinetics and Steyr Mannlicher.

Daniel brought aboard his M800A4 Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle, descendent of the M82 Barrett "Light Fifty". It currently manufactured by the Barrett firearms company, originally based in the former United States. After the Reconstruction war, Barrett was losing out to Colt, and Smith and Wesson for arms sales and military contracts within the Atlantic Federation. The company was forced to move to the Equatorial Union. The company was now enjoying a solid contract for the EU along with Steyr Mannlicher, which also moved out of its original country after the Restoration war and SK Kinetics which was based in Singapore.

Rhiannon jumps in to the jeep at the last minute.

**Watching the various vehicles depart,**

Murrue shook her head. "They certainly are in a hurry."

"Can't blame them," Mu said, scratching his head. "It's their home that's under attack." He glanced at her sidelong. "What do you think? Should we send someone with them?"

She thought about that. "We can't rule out the possibility that this is a diversionary attack," she said slowly. "Their real objective may be the Archangel. But we also can't afford to take the chance. You'd better go with them, Commander."

"Me?" He frowns, "Why me?"

"The Skygraspers are the quickest way to get there, right?" Murrue replies, "I have the feeling the Colonel's going as well."

Mu nods. _Whatever they're doing here in Africa, at least they're a helping them out._

"Okay, I'll head there right away."

As he took off running, she shouts after him. "I'll also send the doctor and some supplies!" she calls. "They'll probably need it!"

The pilot waves a hand in her direction, and was gone.

**Inside the Archangel's hangar **

Michael was already in the Siginarugan and checking over his systems.

Miyuki enters the hangar with Amon, still putting on her ZAFT-style red flight suit. "Chief! Is Phantom ready?"

"Ready as he'll ever be!" The head-mechanic calls, he then grins, "Hope you'll like what we did to it."

She frowns not quite sure what she meant, but doesn't bother to ask.

As she heads to the Phantom, she spots Jethro to her surprise in one of the Skygraspers. Jethro was the only one in the team who had no mobilesuit of his own.

"You're heading out too, Top?" She asks walking toward him.

Jethro only smiles, "I can't stay behind all the time. Besides, with Regina and Wynn in Scandinavia, I'll have to be flying support anyway."

She nods and goes on her way.

"Okay," Antonio began, "Here's what we're going to do. Mike, Miyuki, you two will take point, use MC and get a visual on our hostiles. I'll back you up if you need me. Mills, Rochefort, you guys hang back just in case it is a diversion."

"Yes sir."

Miyuki lowers her visor and keys her radio. "Bridge, this is Kajiura, Phantom is launching for Tassil."

"Understood, Miyuki-sama," Mir replies, "Opening hatch, the Strike is standing by, if you need some back up."

"Copy," She replies. _But I think Waltfeld will be long gone by the time we get there._

She knew Tassil's population wasn't Andy's target. She knew him personally, he would have given them a warning and time to evac, then blown the arms caches and burned the place down.

_But after that, he'll be gone. No reason for him to stay any longer than that._

Miyuki goes to her usual preflight routine, she checks off her systems one by one. That's when she notices one detail, there was a Striker pack hardpoint layout for the Phantom in her systems.

She quickly pushes her radio, "Murdoch, you didn't…"

"We did Kajiura," the old mechanic laughs. "The Phantom's not only air-worthy now, it's got Striker hardpoints."

The pilot grins, more than happy by the modification, "In that case, get me the vulcan and gunlauncher attachments from the Launcher Strike and the Buster weapons, not that I really need them, I just want to see if it can handle flight with that gear on."

"You got it."

**The Siginarugan, Phantom and Mu's Skygrasper fly over the Desert Dawn vehicles as they sped across the desert to Tassil. **

"How's it look, Mike?" Mu calls. "See anything yet?"

Michael looked over the burning town. "It doesn't look good," he reports. "I don't see any sign of BuCUEs or Agiles, but the town's burnt to a cinder."

"That's what I thought." Mu comments grimly.

_He must have figured we got advance warning, _Miyuki thought_. That's reason enough to burn Tassil to the ground._

She then wonders how Col. Kisaka must be feeling, this was his hometown, after all.

_He's too professional for vengeance seeking, but if other resistance fighters go looking for trouble, he'll follow them._

"Any sign of survivors?" Mu asks, breaking into her thoughts.

"Give me a sec," Michael searches the ground. "Yeah, there's a large group of them on the side of the town. Doesn't look like to many of them are injured. Figures… This is definitely Waltfeld's handiwork."

Miyuki nods, "Sure is…"

But Mu was just confused. "I don't get it…"

"Andrew Waltfeld isn't the type to kill civilians." Michael explains. "He'll go for the military targets -the arms dumps- and maybe burned a place down, but that's to deprive the Desert Dawn of their infrastructure, but he doesn't kill non-combatants if he can avoid it."

"I do hope you're not condoning this," Mu said, eyes narrow. "Because it's kinda like you are."

"Well, these were my tactics back during Euro-Pac." Michael admits, "But all I'm just saying is, that Waltfeld made sure to do it without unnecessary casualties. My personal feelings about the tactics are beside the point."

"He's got a point, Mu," Antonio says as the Chimera catches up to them.

"Yeah, true," the Hawk of Endymion admits. "Now, what do you think? Should we land here?"

"Probably a good idea," Antonio cuts in the conversation. "We can only see so much from up here. And besides, we may need to keep the resistance fighters from going too crazy. Their courage is good, it's their weaponry. They got nothing that'll do much against BuCUEs."

"Yeah."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Tassil **

The mobilesuits and the Skygrasper set down together just outside what had been a thriving town.

Mu waves a hand in front of his face in disgust. "One thing I hadn't counted on was the smell, forgot how much burning buildings stink."

"Suck it up, Mu." Antonio grins, seemingly unaffected by the smell. He was used to it. "This isn't too bad."

He scowls at him, "Easy for you to say…"

"It's just the buildings burning," Franks says as he, Luke and Daniel join them. "Not too mention some are old explosives. Good thing they're largely secondary types, if the cache near the town actually blew up, we'd have another Port Chicago our hands."

"Be glad there weren't any deaths." Mike adds "By morning, the buzzards'll be out, and that won't be pretty. And the stench will really pick up by then."

"I'll take your word for it." Mu shook his head.

"There might have been no loss of life," Miyuki speaks up, "But I don't think that's going to calm down the guerillas much, if you know what I mean."

Michael nods. "Yeah, I know."

"Hey, Ant." Mu calls, "Don't you think we ought to report the situation to the Archangel?"

He nods quietly, as he observes the men of the Desert Dawn.

"You want to do it, or shall I?" Mu then asks.

He cocks his head, looking at him funnily. "What, _you_ don't _want_ to talk with the skipper? You _are_ the ranking officer of the Archangel on the scene, right? That means _you_ get to deal with this."

"I'm honored," the ace replies dryly. He keys the radio, "Archangel, this is La Flaga, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Commander," Mir replies, "I'll patch you through to the Captain."

"I'm here, Commander," Murrue said a moment later. "What's the situation over there?"

"The ammo dumps are write-offs," Mu replies. "And so is most of the town, Waltfeld was pretty thorough."

She nods grimly. "That's about I expected. The man didn't earn the nickname 'Desert Tiger' for nothing. What about casualties?"

"As far as I can tell..." He looked back at the refugees; Sahib now appeared to be getting a grip on the situation himself, while nearby, Cagalli was looking quietly furious. "As far as I can tell, everyone's fine …physically anyway."

Murrue blinks. "How is that possible?"

"From what I gather from Kajiura and Mike," Mu answers, "Waltfeld may have given them advance warning. But, I don't think that's going to calm these people much, and to be honest, I don't blame them. They may have survived, but their homes have burnt to a crisp." He sniffs the air in disgust. "Not to mention that it smells like someone decided to burn a load of crap in a barrel."

"I see. Well, keep us informed, and let me know if anything else happens."

"Understood, La Flaga out."

**"Something's up," **

Luke said when Mu got off the radio. "Sahib's arguing with some of his boys, looks like the fireworks are 'bout start."

Everyone's eyes narrow.

"We'd better go," Michael waves his hand to the direction. "We can't have these people do something stupid on us now."

They all walked over to the argument, and got there just in time to hear a guerrilla with a bandana covering the lower half of his face snarl something at Sahib. "You can't expect us to just give up and resign ourselves to being the Tiger's lap dogs!"

With that one statement, they all understood what that man and several others intended to do.

"You can't be serious," Michael cuts in quietly. "Going after BuCUEs with your equipment is suicide."

Sahib looks at him and nods, grateful for the backup, but Cagalli rounds on him.

"Don't you think it's worth it if spending our lives gets us closer to freedom?" she demands. "How can you question our courage, after everything-"

"He wasn't questioning your courage," Miyuki interrupts replied, "Only your capabilities. Your weapons do not stand a chance against BuCUEs. I should know, I seen the test simulations for them back in the Plants."

The bandana-wearing man snorts. "We'll see about that, Coordinator."

He used the word like an insult, something which even Cagalli did not approve of, but she never had the chance to say so. They she had problems with her lately, that didn't meant she didn't respect her anymore. That remark also earned him Antonio's angry glare, it usually took a lot of effort to make Antonio angry, and when that happened, that usually meant someone was going to either the hospital, or the morgue.

"You're lucky it'll take more than that to piss me off, pal," She replies calmly, and then shrugs. "Well, if you're that determined to go get yourselves killed, be my guest. Good Luck."

Sahib, watches the woman stalk away, realizing then that involving her might have been a mistake. Sahib himself didn't have any problems with her... but he could tell that wasn't the case with some of his people.

He watches the angry resistance fighter and his companions get in their artillery trucks and drive off, he had to make a decision.

_No choice,_ he thought. _Can't let them go off and get themselves killed all alone._

He gestures to his own driver, and climbs in.

Cagalli, who had followed after Miyuki a few paces, stops, "What are you going to do?"

She didn't look at her.

"My job," she said simply. "Whether I follow them or not depends on Captain Ramius' decision. If she thinks the Archangel is in too much at risk, I'll probably be heading straight back. If not... I guess it's my decision."

"And if she does?"

Miyuki glances over her shoulder, smiling a bit "Then, I'll follow them. You don't abandon allies, for any reason, no matter how much of an ass they are."

"I just need time to cool off," She begins walking again. "If you want to catch up with them, you'd better hurry. I'll see you later."

Cagalli nods, and goes.

**The ensign was there when Miyuki rejoined the group **

Natarle arrived a few minutes earlier in a jeep, and was now shaking her head in bemusement. "I can't believe they're actually doing it. Don't they know what they're up against out there?"

"Oh," Mike replies bluntly. "They know."

The thing is, right now," Amon continues, "They just don't care."

"To be fair, they have reason to be angry. But…" Michael looks back at the burning buildings. "They should've expected something like to happen. War's hell for everyone, they should be thankful Waltfeld wasn't in a foul mood."

"But they'll be slaughtered!" she protests.

"You're right about that," Mu agrees with a slight smile. "So, what'll we do about it?"

"Don't ask me," Natarle replies, uncharacteristically uncertain. "I haven't a clue."

"Mu, report this to the Captain," Antonio began, "Frank, Luke, Daniel, follow them, gives us a ringer if they do something stupid. Mike, you and Mu secure the area, somebody's got give these people security. And Yuki, we'll head back to the Archangel and rearm, have yourself and get Kira ready for combat."

Everyone nods.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Archangel's Bridge **

"...so they just packed up and went after the BuCUEs," Mu reports to the ship's captain.

Murrue slowly shakes her head. "Couldn't you have tried to stop them, Commander?"

He snorts. "Sorry, Ma'am, but I ain't suicidal. They were so worked up that if I tried, they'd shoot me. Kajiura already did that and they weren't fazed at all. Heck, they went as far as bad mouthing her. And besides, if they didn't listen to their leader, they're definitely gonna listen to me." The Hawk shrugs. "In any case, we have more pressing problems to deal with here. There's the matter of food, and especially water. We're lucky that there aren't many injured, but still..."

She nods. "Understood. I'll send some more supplies ASAP. In the meantime... we can't just let them get themselves killed out there. I'll send Ens. Yamato and Lt. Kajiura to check up on them."

"Understood, La Flaga out."

As his image disappears from the screen, she looks down to CIC. "Crewman Haw, order the Strike to launch immediately. And ask Col. Le Saint Claire what his intentions are."

"Yes, Ma'am," Mir replies. "Kira, prepare the Strike for immediate launch. Miyuki-sama, prepare Phantom for immediate launch."

"Roger that."

"I copy."

She switches the Bridge link to the Chimera. "Colonel, the Captain wants to know what you intend to do."

"I'll be headin' out," He replies. "I'll hang back, maybe we'll get the drop on the Tiger this time. I'm leaving Mills and Rochefort here, no point leaving the AA defenseless."

"Got it." Mir pauses, "Do you know what you'll be up against out there?"

"According to the townspeople, six BuCUEs, one more than last time," He shrugs. "But that's hardly going to match the fire power we have. I don't think they'll be much trouble for Kira and Miyuki either, since they both have aile packs and the BuCUEs don't have the element of surprise or air support with them, unless BuCUEs can fly … or my ex-Pilus Prior's in one of the BuCUEs."

"Do you think that's likely?"

"Not sure… but knowing him, he might just decide to fight the Strike himself. He enjoys picking fights with aces." Antonio closes his cockpit. "Excuse us, but time's a wastin'. We need to move out."

"Roger that, good luck out there, guys."

"Thanks."

**"Here we go again," **

Miyuki remarks, "Ready, Kira?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Kira looks up at his teacher's image. "I just hope we don't have a repeat of that last battle."

"We won't," She said confidently. "We know what we're dealing with this time, and how to deal with it. And besides, we got the big guns with us this time."

"Hey, LT," Murdoch broke in. "You need anything?"

Miyuki shook his head, "Negative, Chief. Pull out the Launcher Strike shoulder weapons, the Buster guns will do fine. Anything else'll just slow me down."

"Okay. Good luck out there."

"Thanks Chief." Miyuki switches frequencies, and tightened her grip on the controls. "This is Lt. Kajiura, Phantom heading out."

Kira watches the black and white brother of the Strike shoot out of the catapult, he follows.

"Kira Yamato here, Strike, heading out!"

Antonio takes Miyuki's spot, his Chimera was armed with the Centurion Striker.

"Le Saint Claire in Chimera, moving out!"

Now the three machines head out for another meeting with the Desert Tiger, Andrew Waltfeld.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**On the long drive back to Banadiya, **

Andrew Waltfeld reclines his seat to relax, with the business of the day done and over with.

But he knew the resistance fighters will get back to fighting strength after a while.

_The Desert Dawn __is__ a nuisance_, Waltfeld thought, _even a threat, however so small._

But they were also undisciplined, and if he'd read them right, that meant they would be having a little action before long.

_At least it'll make DaCosta happy…_

As if on cue, his protégé sighed.

"Can't we go any faster than this?" he complains, over the noise of the BuCUEs plodding after them.

"Eager to return to base, eh?" Waltfeld said with a knowing smile. "Heat bothering you again? You should be used to it by now."

"It's not that," DaCosta said, mildly irritated. "It's just that- if we keep moving at this speed, those resistance fighters will catch up to us."

The Tiger shrugs and leans back again. "If so, then we're meant to meet, its fate. Besides," he pointed out, "Their artillery trucks are no match for our BuCUEs."

"Which is something they should know," his aide replies. "If the legged ship had joined forces with the resistance fighters, then they'll know about that, which means they may be planning a trap."

Waltfeld shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think so. They won't easily trust people from the Earth Forces, remember, they see them no different to us. And even if they do, I suspect they'll be thinking more with their emotions than their brains right now. No, I don't think they'll try anything more subtle than a frontal assault, and a frontal assault is something we can deal with easily enough."

He smiled slightly. "Besides, when people are in a difficult situation, you often hear them say, 'Better to perish', but do you think they honestly mean it? I don't."

"If you say so," DaCosta said dubiously. "Then I guess-"

In one of the BuCUEs, a pilot looks up as his display beeps at him. "Commander?" he calls. "I have vehicles on radar; six, no, nine vehicles. They're artillery trucks and a jeep, probably belonging to the resistance fighters."

Waltfeld's eyebrows went up. "Maybe those people would rather perish, after all."

**Here we go, **

Cagalli thought, as the trucks move through sand, straight toward Waltfeld's forces. _Time for a little payback_.

Ahead of her vehicle, another moves slightly ahead of the pack.

"Go for the jeep!" one guerilla said, raising a rocket launcher to his shoulder. "This time, we're hunting the Tiger!"

He fires, but one of the BuCUEs jumps into the path of the rocket. It explodes harmlessly against the machine's armor.

"You'll have to do better than that," he grins to himself. "Seriously, taking artillery trucks up against mobile suits? You're out of your minds."

But the trucks did have one advantage, they were just about impossible to hit with the armament his BuCUE had. However, they were so fragile that all he really had to do was run them over or step on them. Before he could smash one, Cagalli's vehicle as it makes a sharp curve toward him, Ahmed uses all of his concentration on his driving bearing mind his passenger.

Meanwhile Cagalli and Kisaka fire their rockets, hers hit the tough leg armor, while Kisaka's slams right into an ankle joint, causing the big machine to slew over and hit the sand.

"Yeah!" Cagalli celebrates as she reloads for another. They just proved that their weapons did have an effect on them.

Kirkwood's buddies weren't amused to note this. They decided to show their displeasure, one of them did so by wrenching his machine around on its treads and charging right at a cluster of the resistance fights' vehicles.

"Get out of the way!" Sahib shouts, trying in vain to be heard over the distance and noise. "Those things will go right through-!"

His warning came too late. Before the guerillas could even hope to move out of the BuCUE's path, the huge machine had run right through three trucks as if they weren't even there.

"Take that!" the pilot shouted, pleased at his act of retribution.

"Bastards!" Cagalli hissed. She fired off another rocket, but her shot was hasty. The warhead hits the sand and explodes too close to the truck, and fragments from the explosive ripped into the rear tires, shredding them.

Their targeted saw their predicament, and the pilot smiled. "You're not getting away, Naturals," he said to himself. "Try this!" The BuCUE's paw came up for a killing swipe...

Ahmed grits his teeth to try and force a turn, "No use! Cagalli, Kisaka get off!"

"Jump!" Kisaka pulls Cagalli with him. Ahmed stays behind the wheel so that they get off safely.

To Kirkwood's surprise, he misses as Ahmed somehow got the truck to turn in time and buying himself the opportunity to jump off

"Cagalli," he yells as he shoots his assault rifle to keep the BuCUE's attention on him. "Run!"

"Ahmed!" Cagalli yells as she sees Ahmed run, firing his rifle the same time as the BuCUE chases his.

_I guess this is it_, Ahmed thought. _Sorry Cagalli…_

**At the same time**

"No good,"Daniel mutters as he watches the mobile suit preparing to strike the young fighter. He places his M800 Barrett's bipod on top of the jeep's hood. "I'm taking a shot!"

"Go for it, mate!" Frank encourages, "And make it count!"

"Here we go!" Luke yells as he drives straight at the BuCUE.

Daniel aims through the scope, laying the aiming post of his scope on the BuCUE's head.

The sniper's mind quickly raced through his marksmanship principles, skipping some due to the urgency of the shot.

_Good firm grip, watch the post, squeeze the trigger, wait for the recoil._

Recoil sent a jolt down his shoulder. He blinked as the .50 caliber BMG 660 grain armor piercing round flies toward its target, it hits the suit's mono-eye, effectively blinding the BuCUE.

Of course, that still wouldn't have stopped the BuCUE from making a blind swipe at them, but Sahib Ashman fires two RPGs at once, yelling out a battle cry. This distracted the quadruped unit enough from its intended prey. At the same time, Daniel, Frank and Luke pick up the three resistance fighters.

Sahib continued to be a great distraction, until another BuCUE came up behind him.

Luke drives the jeep toward them, passing Ashman by a hair. When they were in front of the BuCUE, Daniel fires another round at one of the joints. This causes the unit flip violently, sailing over their jeep by a few inches, the occupants quickly duck, Frank holds on to his hat and Rhiannon howls. The BuCUE rolls violently when it lands on the sand, parts flew off it.

By now they had caught attention of the other BuCUEs, one tries to chase them.

Big mistake.

"Take the wheel," Luke orders Ahmed as he moves to the back.

He, Frank and Kisaka all don the AM-20G 80mm. anti-mobilesuit weapon systems. They briefly aim, then fire. The payloads leave the tubes, after several meters, each warhead splits into three smaller darts. They fishtail all over the place but they all hit the intended targets. Despite being smaller than the rockets the Desert Dawn uses, they made a clearly larger boom, enough to punch a large hole into the face of the BuCUE along with shattering both the front legs.

At the same time, a green beam caught another BuCUE in the back, blowing off its missile launcher. The shot from nowhere was quickly followed by another, from a different angle completely taking off the head.

Rhiannon barks as the Strike and Phantom flew overhead parallel to each other.

Back up had arrived.

"It's really the Strike?" Cagalli said in surprise, watching with relief as the mobile suit flew above.

"It's about time," Luke mutters, but also relieved. "What took them so long?"

"Who cares," Franks replies. "As long as they're the ones being shot at, I'm fine with them."

**DaCosta stares in disbelief as both Strike and Phantom appear on the battlefield, **

"The Earth Forces machines... came to rescue them? But why?"

Waltfeld nods to himself, "I guess the legged ship is serious about this alliance of theirs."

"Six BuCUEs against two G-weapons, with two of our machines unfit for action already. This could be a problem." He turns to his protégé, "Are our mercs within range to assist?"

DaCosta checks the small radar map on the dashboard. "Looks that way, Commander. So are Commander Knowles and the Henry Carter."

"Good, signal them. Only beam weapons will do much to Phase-shift. One machine we can take the time to wear down, but not two."

"**Nice headshot Kira," **

Miyuki comments as she peppers the ground below with the 350mm. shotgun.

"Thanks," he replies. "Good thing you told me to adjust the targeting for the heat convection. C'mon, let's push them back!"

Kira and Miyuki continue to engage the three BuCUEs. Unlike last time, they both have Aile packs, which gave them atmospheric flight capabilities, a huge advantage against earth-bound BuCUEs. They could jump, but not too high, and didn't stay up too long.

Kira jumped backwards a pace, using his verniers for a little extra push, and punches one BuCUE, knocking it far back. He then goes after another, firing his beam rifle at it.

While Miyuki focuses her attention on one that had a missile launcher. She stows away the Buster weapons and switches to a beamsaber and her katanas, Chaya and Beday. She then charges in, as the BuCUE fires its missiles. She fires her shoulder mounted vulcan and CIWs, intercepting the missile. She then dashes forward and cuts the BuCUE's launcher with the saber. She then thrusts Chaya on its body just behind the head, completely disabling the unit, without killing the pilot.

Meanwhile, Kirkwood's BuCUE finally manages to get itself moving again.

"Finally," Kirkwood said to himself. "Now let's show the Strike a thing or two." He got ready to move... but was shortly interrupted by his commander.

"Kirkwood!" Waltfeld calls. "Get down here, I want to take a crack at that guy myself."

"Yes sir!" Kirkwood replies instantly. He wasn't happy to turn his machine over to someone else, however watching the Desert Tiger work should be interesting.

**After taking out a missile swarm with his CIWS,**

Kira maneuvers the Strike around the machine that fired it.

_Now I've got you. _Strike's foot catches the BuCUE in the leg and knocking it off-balance, and the rifle came up. Kira waits for the targeting circles to come together, tightened his finger on the trigger.

A missile barrage caught him in the back, throwing off his aim, "What the–?"

"Okay, hotshot," Waltfeld whispers as he barrels down at the Strike. "Let's see how well you do against me."

He smiles. "It won't be as easy as you think."

**Miyuki saw that Kira was about to get ganged up on and was going to assist.**

But her scanners catch her eye, three heat sources were incoming. The computer recognizes two of them as a BuCUE Jackal and the Hyperion, the third didn't fit anything one catalogue, but it resembled that of a BuCUE.

"Ton-ton," She punches a button. "I got three new hostiles incoming on my scanners. Two of them are your old buddies from Euro-Pac. The third one's yet another new model. C'mon and back us up."

"Roger," Antonio responds, he was outside of range just incase Waltfeld had something up his sleeve. With Rayer and Schellezar heading to the combat zone, it was time for the Spartan of Waves to show himself to the Tiger. He switches the leg mode into hoverdyne form and moves through the sand with slightly more speed that a BuCUE.

**Master and Vincent were both making a steady headway when Knowles' LaGOWE suddenly runs beside them.**

"Well, well, well," Rayer comments, looking at the new mobilesuit with interest "What's a new quadruped model doing all the way out here?"

"None of your business merc," Cynthia bluntly replies.

The Beast of Kaohsiung raises his eyebrow. "Oh, is that you Knowles? You're here for Legna, right?"

"If you need to know," she replies, "Yes, direct orders from the top of high command in fact."

"Ooohhh…" Vincent comments, "Legna must've done something real bad."

"The thing is," Master grins. "I think they sent the wrong person for the job."

Knowles' eye narrow, "You're lucky we're in the same side, If we weren't, I would have killed you."

Despite her icy voice, Rayer wasn't impressed.

"Talk's cheap," He sheepishly replies. "Show me what you can do with the enemy."

With that, Rayer rushes forward, Schellezar not far behind.

"Don't break that new model now," Vincent comments with a chuckle.

Knowles' eyes narrow as she watches them speed off, "Ass…"

**"New enemy entering firing range," **

Miyuki calls. "C'mon Ton-ton, where are you?"

"I'm on route to intercept," He answers. "Be ready for anything though, Waltfeld's always full of surprises."

"As if I don't know that," Miyuki then punches a key on her radio, setting it to the ZAFT frequency she expected Waltfeld be using. "Is that you fighting the Strike, Andy, or are you watching from the distance somewhere?"

"Now, what gave you that idea, Legna?" Waltfeld asks pleasantly. "You had to have known I'd be fighting, and you know why, too."

"Hmm..." Miyuki frowns, seemingly lost in thought. "You're getting back me for that time I put turpentine in your coffee?"

Her old teammate barks a laugh. "You haven't lost your sense of humor, I see. You know better than that." He pauses. "I want the Strike and that ship."

"That comes as a shock," Miyuki snorts. "Well, sorry Andy. I'm not about to let you have 'em that easily. C'mon Desert Tiger, give me your worst, not just your furballs."

Waltfeld shook his head. "You know, Corsair, it never ceases to amaze me how you can talk so much in the middle of a battle. What is this, psychological warfare?"

"Ever hear of delaying tactics?" Miyuki shoots back.

"Oh?" the ZAFT commander snorts, "For what?"

"You'll find out," Without warning, she targets and fires the gunlauncher and rifle.

Though Waltfeld's reflexes were good enough for him to jump clear, the speed and accuracy of the shot still surprises Andy. _Damn... she's sharper than she used to be._

"Good shot," Kira comments as he got to her side. "It came close."

Miyuki snorts. "Close is never enough for me, especially when it comes to fighting the Tiger."

She links the two guns together to form the hyper impulse sniper rifle. "C'mon Kira, don't give them a chance to recover."

"Okay."

Waltfeld and the other BuCUEs now began to circle the two mobilesuits.

"I should've expected a cheap shot like that from you, Corsair," The Tiger murmurs. "I guess you've decided to leave your honor as well when you left the PLANTs."

Miyuki winces at the remark, as well was the tone that delivered it. It was very faint, but sensed a tone of anger in Andy's voice, a tone he used when he was hurt inside.

After a second of apprehension, she shakes head.

_Snap out of it_, She tells herself, _He's good with psychological warfare too remember?_

"You were the one who torched that town back there."

"An unpleasant necessity that had to be done," Waltfeld counters. "Anyway, we may have known each other, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I never expected that, especially from you, Andrew."

She switches frequencies to link with Kira, "Watch out Kira! That one with the missiles to the right is the Tiger!"

"Right!"

"**It's been a while, Al." **

Antonio murmurs as he engages with the Hyperion.

"It has, hasn't it?" Vincent replies, "I was hoping to able to get at Legna today, but you're always the better score."

"I'm touched," He replies dryly, watching the Eurasian machine's movements carefully, _"_That's the Eurasian unit you took in Odessa, right?"

"With all the best bells and whistles in the Eurasian military," Vincent had a slight smile, "Shall we see whose skill has gotten better the last time we fought?"

"Sure, just give me a minute." Antonio pulls out the Mandarangan, deactivating his Phase-shift armor.

"Sir," Verdani speaks up, "Are you sure that is a wise move? Though you two are now equal, he still has the lightwave shield."

"He won't use it. If he can help it, he likes to fight with his own skill. No, turning down phase-shift is just evening the field."  
"I see. You two… are rather unusual"

Antonio smirks at the remark, "Welcome to the world of an adrenaline junkie. Namely me."

Vincent pulls out the Durandal, "Have at you!"

His Hyperion leapt forward for a thrust.

But Antonio saw it coming. He sidesteps, and slashes down the Mandarangan in one sleek motion. The blades make contact, sliding against each other, causing a brilliant spark. Another comes when the part.

"According to my estimates," Verdani spoke again, "We may go on all day."

Antonio chuckles, "That's fine with me."

**Miyuki and Kira had only just gotten used to fighting BuCUEs. **

And now, they had to deal with the Desert Tiger himself.

"Hey Boss," a JC/A1 M2 BuCUE Jackal and the LaGOWE run beside Waltfeld. "You called?"

Correction, they had to deal with the Desert Tiger, Knowles and the Beast of Kaohsiung.

"Knowles, Keep Legna busy," Waltfeld calls. "We'll take care of the Strike."

"With pleasure," the woman replies with an eerie chuckle.

Waltfeld shook his head, "She always gave me the creeps…"

**The three BuCUEs and the BuCUE Jackal assume a formation,**

With two pelting him with missiles and hi-velocity rounds, while the other two kept jumping into him, using full-contact maneuvers to keep him off-balance and give the others openings for attack. Kira cries out as the quadruped units hit him again, giving Waltfeld and Rayer a chance to pump him with their ordnance.

_This isn't good,_ Kira thought. _I gotta to find some way to counter this; if I don't, I'm dead._

Unfortunately, he couldn't ask Miyuki for suggestions as she was busy dealing with someone who's got it out for her.

Knowles fires her railgun at the Phantom whilst charging in at her. Miyuki fires back with the rifle and gunlauncher.

The LaGOWE dodges it with ease, "C'mon, Legna, don't tell me that's the best you can do."

She then charges in another time and activates her canon, all her shots hit their mark. "Or maybe did your skill waned… just like your loyalty to the PLANTs."

Miyuki frowns, "You're the one to talk."

"I've heard what you've been doing, Cynthia. Who are you to question my loyalty?" She links the two weapons together into the sniper rifle and fires.

"Well, this isn't about me now is it?"

Miyuki brushes this off easily, "Nice try, Knowles, nice try."

Waltfeld grins to himself. "You're not gonna get so lucky _this_ time, hotshot. Even if you only use kinetic attacks, the Phase-shift still uses power to guard against each hit. And after seventy-six good hits, the PSA is going down... along with power to the beam rifle." He had taken his time to study the captured G-weapon data, after the last battle. Rayer was also aware of this weakness and also uses his CIWS units to wear down the Strike.

Kira hit his verniers, stopping his fall before he could hit the sand, he manages to move one side before a missile hits the Strike in the face.

"So, you weird and wonderful pilot," Waltfeld calls, firing another salvo of warheads, "How are you gonna get out of this one?"

_Just a little more…_ Master thought as he watches the Strike. _The pressure should be building in the kid's head, something interesting should happen right about..._

Behind Kira's eyes, an amethyst seed shatters.

Strike very unexpectedly stops all forward movement, going into full reverse, bringing it's Igelstellungs into perfect alignment with the oncoming swarm.

Rayer smiles thinly, _What I tell ya?_

Waltfeld curses as the missiles blew up uselessly. "He's good. All right, break and attack! If he doesn't get the chance to concentrate on any one of us..."

But Kira had other ideas, he decides to take a bit out of Rayer's playbook. Eyes clear and calm, he drops the Strike to mere meters above the sand, using the backwash from his thrusters to create a shroud of sand, which completely covers the Strike from view for a seconds. Waltfeld jumps out of the way, by the time his pilots knew what was going on, it was too late.

Unlike what Kira expected, the beam shot cuts under the storm, hitting the belly of a BuCUE. It blew the machine in half.

Waltfeld curses again, "Now you've gone too far, hotshot!"

Together, he and his last regular subordinate charge the Strike, firing missiles and preparing for ramming attacks.

Seeing this, Kira throws away his shield and pulls out his beam saber, and slices into Waltfeld's BuCUE, cutting the foreleg, a wing, and half his missile pod with one smooth motion. With amazing timing, he lets go of his beamrifle and catches the BuCUE's leg. He launches it toward the encounter between the Phantom and the LaGOWE.

The BuCUE flies directly between Knowles and Kajiura just as the LaGOWE was making another attack, because of that, instead of the head-mounted saber cutting into Phantom's armor, it cut off a good chunk of the BuCUE.

A little surprised by the flying quadruped, Miyuki quickly recovers and reels back with his thrusters. She wastes no time forming and firing the hyper impulse sniper rifle. The beam catches the four-legged machine on the back, detonating the missilepods and blowing the whole thing up.

While Knowles was caught off guard by the explosion, Miyuki pulls out Chaya, and charges along with cutting right through the left legs of the LaGOWE's feet, forcing to only its treads for movement.

Knowles grits her teeth, knowing too well she was beaten.

"Another time, traitor! Commander Waltfeld, we better get out of here ASAP!"

"Agreed," the Tiger replies, "All units, return to base immediately."

"That was fun," Andrew Waltfeld murmurs to himself, "Been awhile since I faced such a... challenging opponent."

He then smiles. "We'll meet again, Strike pilot. Count on it."

But if he could, he wanted to meet the pilot face-to-face before their next confrontation on the battlefield. It would be... interesting.

**Unfortunately,**

Some of the tiger's men had hearing problems, namely Pierce and Vincent. The Chimera and Hyperion were still locking weapons, dancing through the sand as they overboost, fighting purely with their skill.

"I see that you're more skilled with the Karasu's length now," Antonio comments, deflecting the nodachi with his guan-dao.

"Your technique with the guan-dao has also improved," Vincent replies. "Knowing you, you must have that weapon set to the scale weight of the Green Dragon Crescent."

"I have," Antonio replies.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade was a legendary weapon wielded by the Shu-Han general Guan Yu in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It is also sometimes referred to the Frost Blade, from the idea that during a battle in the snow, the blade continuously had blood on it, the blood froze and made a layer of frost on the blade. Records say that it was estimated to be at 82 catties or 18.04 kilograms, the Mandarangan was about 28 tons, that's four times the weight of a ginn's heavy sword, a ginn cannot carry it without modifications.

"It's training for me," he continues, "So that my mind can get used to the speed I can use it."

Antonio lets the Chimera's hand slip to the end of the Mandarangan, he then swing the weapon on its full length. Vincent boosts back, as the blade swung, he repositions himself for a thrust. When he launches at Antonio, the Chimera makes a spin move, avoiding the thrust by a hair. The two swung around at the same time, making their weapons meet each other again with a resounding impact

Meanwhile, Rayer was being very adventurous and decides to go up against both the Strike and Phantom.

"**Now that the boss is gone…" **

Pierce grins, he activates his AI-SEED, his right eye's pupil and iris turn into a slit and the rest of it turns blood red. "I can really play."

He fires his railgun at the Strike's beamsaber, hitting just right to jarred loose of the hand. Kira, still SEED mode, snatches the beamrifle from and fires back. Rayer simply counters by lowering his machine, he then runs off, the Strike follows it parallel.

"Stop this already!" Kira fires a shot to make Master dodged it, while he was in midair, Kira lunges at him with his saber.

To his surprise the side beam sabers of the Jackal blocks his own saber. "Sorry kid, but I'm not that easy."

Kira's eyes widen as the Jackal activates all its beamsabers, then making a 360 degree spin that catches the right of the Strike, obliterating the right arm and the wings of the aile pack on that side. He then goes behind the Strike and detracts the Armor Jaeger blade and stabs it on the back of the Strike, destroying its Aile pack.

"Kira!" Miyuki fires the hyper impulse sniper rifle. The BuCUE Jackal jumps out of the way and fires the railgun, hitting the Phantom's cockpit area. The round doesn't penetrate thanks to Phase-shift but Miyuki grits her teeth at the impact.

In response, she fires the rocket anchor catching the railgun with the intention of ripping it out too. Unfortunate, when she gives it the pull, the gun stays in place and all she did was tug Rayer a few feet.

Master grins as Phantom was about to pull again, "If you want it that bad…"

He disconnects the railgun from his unit just as meet makes another forceful pull. The weapon flies toward her, with barely enough time to think, she shoots at the gun, blowing it up.

Rayer smiles widely, "Gotcha."

He makes his BuCUE Jackal with a burst of speed and jumps, he dives through the flames of the explosion and lands on the Phantom, knocking the buster weapon off its hand.

"Ahh!" Miyuki screams at the impact as she lands on her back, she tries to pull out a saber but Rayer wasn't going to have any of that and cuts both her arms.

The eyes of the Phantom and the monoeye of the Jackal were mere feet from each other. In her cockpit, Miyuki was breathing fast, thinking this was the end.

"So… this is ZAFT's bane and Death's favorite daughter…" Rayer says to both Kira's and Miyuki's radios. "That was quite a display, though I can tell you two still need a little more getting used to gravity. But not too bad."

Rayer jumps off the Phantom and begins walking off, "I'll be looking forward for the next time, make sure you two improve even more, most especially you, Miyuki-sama."

Miyuki's eyes widen, "How did you…?"

"Andy told me about it, apparently he trusts me enough to know that info. The only other people in the outfit who know are Vincent, DaCosta and Ms. Aisha. And don't worry, this is a secure line. Tell Kira that I have my eye on him and his machine."

Miyuki frowns, "And how do you know Kira?"

"I can read lips from the distance. I haven't told Waltfeld yet though… Well, I'll be seeing ya."

"Wait!" Miyuki calls, "Pierce, how's… how's Andy and Aisha?"

"… They're fine. A little anxious over you though, but don't get me wrong, they're still more than willing to take you down."

She smiles sadly, "I see… thank you."

With that, Rayer finally broke off, leaving the Strike and Phantom badly damaged. Vincent too breaks off after getting a call from Pierce. The Chimera stood by, letting them go.

"Aren't you going to go after them?" Kira asks

Antonio shook his head. "No, let them go. This battle is over." He shrugged. "I may be able to fight either Vince or Pierce, but both of them at the same time, that's too much for even me."

He glances at the Strike, the Phantom, then at the resistance fighters who watched the battle. "Besides, right now, we need to count our losses."

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**Antonio, Kira and Miyuki exited their respective mobilesuits and join the assembled Desert Dawn members. **

As Kira got off his, he took his time about it, considering the events that had just occurred, and became increasingly disgusted as he did so.

_They were nearly wiped out today, _he thought,_ and for what? If we hadn't turned up, they _would_ be dead. What's the use in fighting if you just throw away your lives like that?_

He actually had no idea if Miyuki or the Colonel would agree with him or not, but after seeing Cagalli run up toward them and how the two were talking with her easily. That indicated to him that perhaps the cousins' views maybe different than he thought.

But that didn't stop Kira from speaking his mind.

"Are you looking to get yourselves killed?" Kira asks sharply. "Here, of all places?"

Cagalli glares at him.

"You must have a death wish or something," he goes on. "Are you actually trying to throw away your lives for no reason?"

"That's it!" she snarls, running up to him. "You have no idea what you're talking about! We all fought desperately; we're still fighting desperately, all so that we can protect-!"

Kira slaps her.

Daniel, Luke, Frank, Sahib and Kisaka looked slightly stunned, Ahmed gives an outraged glare at the pilot, while Miyuki and Antonio simply observed.

_He has a point, Cagalli,_ Antonio thought. _You __may have survived... but it wasn't smart to do this in the first place._

_Sorry Cagalli_, Miyuki murmurs mentally, _but he's right._

"Just what can you hope to protect when you've got nothing but feelings for weapons?" Kira demanded harshly. "Well?"

No one answered.

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**A/N: **Hey all, sorry this took long, I was busy at work. I've been also doing a little reworking with some the previous chapters, editing them into the new format, and fixing spelling and grammar errors.

In the next chapter, we'll be taking a break from Africa and the Seed canon. Visch and the other Swords up in the Plants are about to make their first action against ZAFT, along with this is the story that was supposed to for Fog of war (I couldn't really get it to work as a stand alone story), this'll involve most of everyone I haven't been using much in the recent chapters, the Wing pilots, the Shroud, D.N. the Black Astray pilot, and my Junk Guilders, Jamie and Adam. Plus I'll be introducing some more OCs, not to mention another GAT-X Zero model.

The next update shouldn't take too long, thanks and Please R&R!


	22. Iron Brotherhood Tech

**Iron Brotherhood Technology information and definition list #1**

**A/N:** All of the technologies here are arranged according to first appearance.

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**RHEA system Resistant Heavy External Armor**

Created by Miyuki Kajiura, this is the predecessor for ZAFT's HiMAT system. It functions as a propulsion system as well as an armor that cover the Siginarugan's torso. It cannot be used for propulsion when in armor mode.

Its original purpose was to shield mobile suits operating directly exposed close the sun in space. The system created an atmosphere under the armor that makes conditions more tolerable for pilots. This system can also be used to make Mirage Colloid cloaking work even in intense heat.

**The Edea ultracompact double energy battery**

Manufactured by the Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, design by Integral Design. It is essentially a battery with twice the energy capacity of the standard battery pack on mobilesuits used by ZAFT during the first B. Valentine war.

**"Rommel Panzer" armor**

The complete opposite of the Geschmeidig Panzer, developed by Julian Weather of the Atlantic Federation, it uses colloid gas to absorbs beam energy and converting it to the energy battery that powers the mobilesuit using it. It has no effect on kinetic weapons.

**HM (High Mobility) Leg unit XM4 "Journeyman"**

An experimental leg unit developed by the two major Equatorial Union mobile weapons manufacturers, United Arms Inc. and Hardwellton Military Industries, the leg unit is designed for absolute mobilesuit mobility on any terrain. This unit can transform to three leg types, standard humanoid frame, spider frame for more unwieldy terrain like jungles and snow and hovercraft frame for negotiating through swamps, deserts and travel over water.

**The RDU-04 Radar detection attachment and the RJU-07 Radar jammer unit **

Two pieces of sensor equipment that was created for the EU Highwind Stealth Bomber project, they are capable of jamming virtually all current sensory equipment utilized by ZAFT and OMNI enforcer


	23. Phase18: The Breakaway Faction

**A/N**I gave it some thought and I've decided to merge the Fog of War storyline with the main story. The reason of this is because it just didn't work separated from the main story, it didn't make any sense. A largely OC affair coming up.

**Phase 18: The Breakaway Faction**

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**Desert Dawn base, somewhere in the Libyan Desert, African Community **

"Here they come," Jethro says to Murdock as the Siginarugan carried the Strike towards the Archangel.

The senior mechanic winces as they got closer, "Damn… it even looks worse than the Phantom."

Jethro nods as the UNAAF G-Unit carries its Earth Alliance counterpart into the hangar. "That Beast of Kaohsiung is something."

"Yeah," Murdock laughs uneasily. "He's pretty much the first guy who's ever taken down the Strike. Of all places, it had to be out here, eh?"

Mills smirks, looking the mechanic at the corner of his eye, "Tell me about it."

The Strike was placed next to the Phantom, a team of mechanics then converged on it to fully assess the damage.

As the Siginarugan goes to its usual spot, Michael notes that the Chimera was heading to the catapult again after it delivered the Phantom.

"Hey Ant," he calls through the radio, "Where you going?"

"I'm heading back out." Antonio responds, "To check on the convoy carrying those Tassil refugees."

"You don't really need to man. The Tiger's not that kind of guy."

Antonio shrugs, "Better safe than sorry."

After getting confirmation from the bridge, the Chimera again leaves the Archangel. The mobilesuit's legs again switch to hoverdyne form, it moves seamlessly over the sand and heads out the base.

As he reached the open desert, Antonio undoes his shirt while pulling out a syringe and a small bottle of morphine. After strapping his arm, he looks for a good tract on his arm. When he does, he fills the syringe and puts it in. Soon enough, Antonio some relief, the pain in his arms as fading and his head didn't hurt as much.

He sighs, resting his head against the back rest as the Chimera moves through desert.

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**Januarius One, Plants**

Visch leans against a wall in front of the Legislative Committee building, several of his acquaintances from Military Intelligence and Special Forces accompanied him. There other people he didn't know, probably there for the same reason.

The eye-patched commander then spots who they were waiting for, a man wearing a brown leather bomber jacket, white shirt and grey slacks. He wore a pair of glasses and a baseball cap to hide his face but Visch recognizes him.

"You're late," he scowls as the one they've been waiting for walks toward them.

"I had to meet with someone else," the man replies. "C'mon, let's get inside."

"Is it really safe to meet here?" Norris Packard, one of Visch's buddies from Special Forces asks, "Considering what we're planning…"

The man who just arrived smiles, "The head of security here's a buddy of mine. Besides, Ali Kasim's on our side."

The Intel and Special Forces men look among themselves, surprised someone that high up was with them in this.

Visch stares at him curiously, he too was not aware of that detail.

Little do his companions know, this unassuming man was actually Grey, the Ghost of the Swords.

"I'll answer all of your questions inside," Grey herds the men. "And call me Grim."

Inside, Elsa and Meg were standing at the door that led to the main chamber. When Elsa sees them, she knocks on the door. The slides open, and the two young soldiers let them pass. Visch notes of the security cameras that on the wall close to the ceiling. They were in auto-track, focusing when their sensors detect movement.

"Don't worry," 'Grim' calls. "I had security disable them. They're not recording."

"Hey Grim," one of the men asks. "Why did Grey want us to meet here? We could just meet somewhere else without this much trouble."

"Compared to else where, this place is secure," The capped man replies. "Zala has eyes and ears all over the Plants."

**They were gathered in the Chamber**

It was a round room with chairs formed in a circle, it was similar to the Supreme council chamber except there are more chairs. This place was usually reserve for only the Legislative Council, where the laws of the Plants were passed.

The people gathered inside were a motley bunch, men and women from various branches of ZAFT; military intelligence, defense intelligence, internal affairs, Special Forces. Marvin, Chris and Shiho were also there.

All of them knew Patrick Zala's dirty little secret, they checked for themselves and were appalled by it. All of them agree that Junius Seven was an abomination caused by Naturals and were willing to go to war for it, but these people had the sense to draw the line on doing genocide themselves.

Some people shifted their eyes around, looking at everyone nervously. Understandable, this was only the first time they all met. And there was hardly an established organization.

All of them were waiting for Grey, Grim had left to get him.

They didn't have to wait long.

Sure enough, the masked white officer enters the room. In military discipline, everyone stood up and salute.

But he waves his hand, "No need for that, we're all equal in here."

"So Grey," Visch began as everyone settled down. "What're we doing here? And what do you need these guys for?"

"I have a job for them," The masked officer replies straightly. He pushes a button in the hologram projector in the middle of the room, showing schematics of several mobilesuits.

Visch doesn't recognize any of them, he noted most were labeled ZGMF-X and a number.

"It has only been a couple of months, but already we have several mobilesuits currently under works to counter the Alliance's new weapons. Aside from the Cgue DEEP Arms and the GuAIZ units, there are several others currently in development."

"These are, ZGMF-X10A Freedom, ZGMF-X09A Justice, ZGMF-X08A Punishment, ZGMF-X07A Guardian and the one that started it all, YMF-X000A Dreadnought. From my knowing, there's more in the works. All funded with the black budget."

"The suckers are theoretically ten times more powerful than the Earth Forces models," Grey continues. "Their armaments and support systems are the most advanced ZAFT R&D and SCICOM have ever made, all them have Phase Shift Armor. Their operational range is almost infinite, the only hindrance would be the pilot's own weaknesses and necessities."

A murmur occurs among Visch's colleagues.

"How's that possible," One from defense intelligence asks. "The battery's a factor too right?"

Grey turns to him, tilting his head. "Battery? What battery?" He said calmly, "Don't tell me the intelligence divisions aren't aware, that these mobilesuits are equipped with Neutron-Jammer cancellers?"

That last part causes uproar, taking everyone, even the other Swords, by surprise.

"I thought they haven't made the breakthrough…" Shiho murmurs.

Visch turns to her, "You knew?"

"Yeah," She shrugs at him helplessly, "Sort of… But I thought they haven't gotten anywhere with it, at least that's from what I hear from the technicians in DEEP Arms."

"I got word of it from one of my buddies in SCICOM yesterday," The Ghost of the Swords informs. "It's the final vital piece to make GENESIS fully operational, it'll allow the nuclear reactors to create enough gamma radiation to make the desired result."

"If we hope to even stand a chance when go against ZAFT," Grey went on. "We need to get hold of one of the N-Jammer cancellers. The schematics we have are good, but there have been many alterations to the design as their development went on. We need a working unit. That's why you men are gathered here, we're going to steal one of the ZGMF models."

The Special Forces and Intel men all blinked, astonished at the sheer audacity of what he was proposing.

"You just said these things are black budget funded," One man from internal affairs points out, "That means security is like Jachin Due and Boaz on red alert, there's no way we can crack that with our resources."

"Redding," Grey acknowledges the officer, "I know what you mean, but just because the security is formidable doesn't mean its unbreakable."

"Still," Visch speaks up, he wasn't too hot with the idea himself. "You're pretty much asking us to capture the moon in two days here."

"Not necessarily," Grey replies knowingly. "You see, the ZGMF-X07 Guardian is being transferred from Martius Four to a disclosed location in Aprilius One in the Nazca-class Pasteur. The security detail's not very large, so as not to attract unwanted suspicion. The ships are Amzen, Rembrandt, Gansback and Bonstell. Pilots in all these ships are green, so they won't give you much trouble."

The men look among themselves and settle down a bit. Now that Grey clarified himself, it seems possible.

Somewhat.

"When'll it take place?" Visch asks.

Grey looks at his watch, "Within 24 hours, that should be enough time to prepare. I've arranged for a friend of mine to deliver some unregistered mobilesuits along with a full armament collection. We'll be using Earth Forces spacecraft we've captured in back during Nova and Jachin Due. All we need now are willing volunteers to come along with me and my men. …anyone?"

Right away, Visch, Marvin, Chris and Shiho made gestures of agreement. There was hesitation among the others, but they knew they're in too deep to back out now.

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**Meanwhile, Clyne residence, Aprilius One**

Just outside the door leading to Lacus' room, Eileen hesitates, thinking before finally knocking.

"Yes?" came the voice from within.

"It's me." Instantly, the door opened.

"Eileen!" Lacus greets. "I didn't realize you weren't busy with work."

"I was," Eileen Canaver admits.

"Not until about ten minutes ago." She steps into the room, "You're looking fine from what I see…"

"It wasn't that bad," she told him. _"You,_ on the other hand, you look like you haven't been getting much sleep lately again."

She holds up her hand, a dimpled smirk in her face. "Guilty as charged."

As soon as her leave had lifted, Eileen had jumped back into work. Though she was taking up late hours again, she did try her best to discipline herself. Besides, she had Visch waiting for him at home.

For some reason that still evades her, Visch did the unheard of and personally had himself and his team assigned to home defense division. She had been asking him if why, the reason she got from him was he wanted to take an easy a bit. She wasn't quite convinced with that, especially when she heard Douglas Marshall had also did the same.

"So," She went on after a moment, "How did they treat you on the legged ship? I heard about the incident with the Eighth Fleet's advance force..."

Lacus smiles, "Oh, don't worry, Ellie. It wasn't that bad. That was the only incident that could possibly be considered threatening, and mostly I was treated quite well. Especially by one young man, Col. Le Saint Claire and his team... also Commander Legna."

Eileen flinches, she heard her estranged friend and former commander was on the Archangel, but she didn't believe it at first. Like every other rumor about her since she disappeared.

_She wouldn't have,_ she reminds herself. _Not after the Bloody Valentine. Yuki _must_ have her reasons._

Lacus' voice brought her back to the present. "Ellie, can I ask you something?"

She looked up. "Hmm?"

She chose her words carefully, "Do you still consider Commander Legna a friend?"

Eileen was surprised by the question, but quickly recovers.

"Yes," She said firmly. "She always has been and always will be. I don't know what she's doing with this 'legged ship', but I'm sure she has her reasons. Why do you ask?"

Lacus pulls something Morrigan/Miyuki had given her from a tabletop, it was wrapped in a fine cloth.

"She gave me this," she told her. "She said to give it to someone who actually deserves it."

Eileen frowns, taking the item from her. She unfolds the cloth and finds two medals, a Silver Star of Sirius and a Crest of Sagittarius, and a piece of paper.

"These are…" She immediately recognizes them as the medals Miyuki and Legna earned in the Ides.

She take unfolds the paper and finds a letter addressed to her. Eileen smiles sadly, pressing her lips against the letter.

"It's never too late, Yuki."

---

_Eileen,_

_I was such a terrible friend to you._

_I gave you such a hard time when I was still in the PLANTs. _

_I've said so many terrible words to you, I even slapped you in the face and called you a traitor._

_Look who's the traitor now._

_I regret everything I've done to you._

_But I know it's too late, not mention pathetic to say sorry. _

_However, I want tell you that I'm proud of you, Eileen. _

_You're only one who believed in peace when all of us were so intent for war. _

_Don't lose faith, if you can survive me and Lenneth, you can survive anything the Radicals will throw at you and Siegel._

_Eileen, I'm proud to have been your friend. Say hello to Ol' Siegel for me._

_From the both of us,_

_Legna and Kajiura_

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**Januarius One, Plants**

"You never said we have Ali Kasim on our side," Visch comments to Grey as they, Shiho, Chris and Marvin all walk toward one of the unused utility hangars in the Plant colony's lower end. "And you said we didn't anyone that high up."

"Not that high up _in ZAFT_," The masked Sword corrected. "I was going to tell you that. I can't just toss everything on your lap now can I? I'd lose my job at DI if I did."

"Okay, okay, fine." Visch replies. "So, is there anything else we should know, Grey?

"Ah," Grey chuckles, "So, what gave me away?"

Visch raises an eyebrow and smirks, "You'd usually flood us with details."

"I see… Well yes, I did leave a detail out from you guys during the briefing." the masked white coat replies. "I just wanted to it say to you in more secure areas, you can never be too careful you know."

"I think you're just getting _too _paranoid," Chris replies flatly. "Okay G, spill it."

"We're going to get some outside back up."

Shiho looks to him with a raise eyebrow, "By whom? Mercenaries?"

"Even better," Grey answers. "The Covenant."

Marv cocks his head, he was about say it aloud but quickly -and wisely- lowers his voice "The CSA…?"

Visch, Shiho and Chris were just as surprised.

"How they fit in to this?" Shiho asks.

"Yuki has friends in the organization," Grey explains.

"Shouldn't we tell this to the others?" Visch frowns. "We may end up having friendly fire kills out there you know."

Grey shook his head, "Don't worry I'll tell them that we'll have some outside backup too. The difference is, they'll think they're just mercs. You guys, I trust enough to let you know who they really are."

"They'll be providing us with additional support, but they're also here to move the Guardian after we get the data we need from it."

Shiho frowns, "Where? On Earth?"

"Who knows," Grey shrugs. "But whatever they're gonna do with it, it'll probably be in our favor. And bear in mind, Yuki entrusted her Linear Prism firing system design to them."

Visch, though a little unsure, nods, "If she trusts them…"

"…we all ought to trust them too." Shiho finishes, equally unsure.

"Exactly, I know its spur of the moment, but sometimes you have to throw caution into the wind." Grey looks over his shoulder. "By the way, I've heard from Elsa that you managed to talk a few more people into our merry little band."

Visch nods, "I got most of my buddies in spec-ops and MI in, Marshall's got several ships in his pocket and Marv here got several of his old academy batch mates to hook up with us."

"Good," Grey looks to the girls. "And how're you two going along?"

"And it's not exactly easy with the national defense council guys hanging around our area," Shiho replies. "But we have the DEEP Arms project director and the commander in charge our side. They'll be ready to provide us access with beam weapons and compatible energy batteries when the time comes."

"Good work…" Visch agrees, ruffling the two girls' hairs. "We may just have a chance."

"Hey…!" Chris frowns, not appreciating Visch ruining her well-combed hair. "I just fixed that!"

"Stop it," Shiho grabs his hand and pushes it off. "That's not funny, Visch!"

"We may have, Donahue. That is if they'll keep their nerve," Grey points out, "Bear in mind of summer soldiers and sunshine patriots, my friends."

"Not mention Radical moles and snitches," Shiho adds with a knowing look.

Visch grins, "Touché."

Grey chuckles, "That's just how Yuki would've said it."

She smiles, "Thanks."

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**Aprilius One, Plants**

A woman sat on couch in an executive waiting room in the Plant colony's spaceport, she seemed to be losing her patience, constantly looking over her watch and checking with port security if the people she was waiting have arrived.

Ezalia Joule was much incensed when she had been informed that it was her who was to meet with the investigators from the Equatorial Union. Along with the revealing of the location Junius Seven to the public several days ago, the body of an Atlantic Federation congressman had been found. And according to reports, he may possibly have been murdered, the United Nations had initiated an investigation into the matter. Part of that team was to go to the Plants and meet up with ZAFT to examine witness accounts and surveillance and other recorded data that was recovered from Junius just before the disappearance of Lacus Clyne.

Ezalia didn't really see much point to the whole thing. With the war going on, this sort of matter was a low priority, far too low for her to be assigned to entertaining a bunch of investigators. But Supreme Chairman Siegel Clyne insisted she were to be the one, since her specialty in Aero-space engineering. She had no choice but to comply.

The Martius City Representative and National Defense Council member looked at the profiles gathered by intelligence of the men coming to Aprilius.

The lead investigator was Reno Pagadua, a 29 year old married man from Calamba, Laguna in the Philippines, Equatorial Union. He had been recommended by the previous officer in charge of the investigation and by the UN World Court. She heard of him, he was also involved in the Copernicus incident. It's thanks to his investigations that the culprit was revealed that a group called Holy Land, a Blue cosmos-affiliated faction was involved. The next investigator was one Kyoko Takeda, age 21 and from Orb, though young she was an experienced analyst and computer specialist. Finally, there was 22 year old Tatanka Le Saint Claire, he was relatively new to Interpol but he had some reasonable clout. Ezalia could see that the UN was sincere with this matter, sending a Le Saint Claire, the family was highly revered and respected in the Equatorial Union, losing him in this would be a serious political disaster for the UN.

But Ezalia wasn't going to let her guard down, after the incident in Heliopolis, her trust towards had all but diminished.

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**Outside Aprilius One, Plants**

It was a couple of days after the Orbital battle between the Earth Alliance's Eighth Orbital Fleet led by Admiral Lewis Halberton and a ZAFT force led by Rau Le Creuset.

A senior investigator from Interpol sat inside a shuttle. He was a rare visitor, a natural from Earth. Twenty-nine year old father of three, Reno Pagadua sighs anxiously as his shuttle enters the hour-glass shape colony.

**---**

**A week ago, Special Investigations Branch, International Criminal Police Organization Headquarters, Singapore, Equatorial Union**

The Interpol Special Investigations Branch is a special group within the organization that works with the UN World Court, they investigate in various crimes that include terrorist acts, narcotics, gun and human trafficking, and high profile murders.

Reno was quietly sitting behind his desk working on his computer, when his superior walks toward him and hands him a case file.

He eyes at it, then her, "Lin, I already got a case."

"I'm reassigning you," Branch Commander Michelle Lin answers swiftly. "This takes priority."

Reno raises his eyebrow, he takes the file, handing her what he's been working on. He opens the folder, "And what's this?"

"Atlantic Federation Congressman Darren Kajiura's body's been found by the UNAAF unit that found Junius Seven while going through the space debris belt. The preliminary examinations are suggesting he died _before_ the alliance's main attack occurred."

Reno cocks his head, "Okay… but shouldn't the UNAAF be working on this?"

"They were, but since they've also got themselves involved in Heliopolis, the UNAAF commander-in-charge decided to hand over the case to us. There's military stuff involved, so automatically that goes to you."

He had been in Equatorial Union Naval Intelligence before he volunteered for the Spartan Guard, assigned to Water Corps.

Reno looks at who was the previous OIC and smiles. It was his former Legate, Lt. Col. Antonio Le Saint Claire.

"Okay… where should I start chief?"

---

**Back to the present**

Reno watches as armed ZAFT guards enter the shuttle and confront him. They requested for his papers and identification. He hands them over accordingly. As those were being worked through, he and his belongings were processed. When guards requested for him to hand over his gun, he refused, the last thing he wanted when finally entered the Plants was to be unarmed. There was going to be a lot of people who wouldn't take kindly of him here, especially with the war going on. After a little legal wrangling, the guards allow him to keep his weapon. It took about two hours to get past inspection and he was already tired.

He sighs as looks around at the inner workings of Aprilius One, "What the hell did I get myself into…?"

Reno Pagadua wasn't just picked because of his military background and expertise. He was also a veteran investigator who had the subtlety for things like this. The death of Darren Kajiura, who was confirmed by three medical examinations to have died before the attack, was a highly sensitive matter. It was a political and diplomatic powder keg that didn't need much to blow up in their faces.

Twenty two year old Tatanka 'Tank' Le Saint Claire walks to his side, "Okay, we're here. What now, Reno?"

"Wait. I guess… We're supposed to be meeting somebody from the Supreme council…"

"Maybe they forgot about us," Kyoko Takeda quips. "We're just a bunch of stupid Naturals right?"

"Right," Reno replies with smirk, "But if they make us wait for hours out here like idiots, they better not expect me to be nice."

Tank grins, "This'll be interesting. I'll leave the talking to you then."

The three of them didn't really have too many expectations for this case, though there was pressure from the UN to resolve it. With the war going on, ZAFT will most likely try and stall them. Any possible foul play implicating a person within ZAFT on the congressman would be bad for their image, they were already taking hits from the Hannah Marques case.

Reno did his best to be optimistic, he was hoping ZAFT would be forthcoming to them since they were a neutral third party. And the fact it was just the three of them who came should make them a little more at ease. He could only hope for a good relationship with the representative meeting them.

Reno was wrong one thing though, they weren't there alone.

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**Outside Aprilius One,**

The Javelin floats in space cloaked in Mirage Colloid. In the bridge, Nathaniel Wolfthorne, "The Spartan of Plains", stood beside captain's chair, looking out to the colony with a calm, passive face.

The ship's captain, a woman with short dark brunette hair, felt uneasy being so close to the PLANTs' capital colony. And with good reason, after the Blue Cosmos attack last month, if anyone so much suspected them there, they would be swarmed by several dozen mobilesuits and ships in a matter of minutes. As advanced and well-armed their ship was, even it couldn't stand up against a whole force by itself.

It was moments like this that she was thankful her boss had the Javelin equipped with Mirage Colloid. One of several additions they got from the refitting she had in Scandinavia. After the refit was done the Javelin was no longer a Skiold-class light escort carrier, it had become a Lucifer-class fast assault carrier. It was essentially the opposite of the Skiold, an attacker instead of a defender. The ship was armed with Gottfrieds, two was place on top of the ship's 'legs', and other two on the side. Where the lone Gottfried was in the Skiold set up, on the platform between the two 'legs' was now where a single Lohengrin was stored.

But even with these additions, Captain Alana Reynard couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Nate seemed to notice this and place a hand over her shoulder for assurance, "Don't be too tense, remember they can't detect us at all."

"Perhaps sir," Alana replies. "But ZAFT has captured a mobile unit that has Mirage Colloid, they may have already made counter measures for it."

"It's possible," he replies. "But since they haven't against us yet, it's unlikely."

She looks at him at corner of her eye, "You never know sir, maybe they're waiting for _us_ to make a move."

Her boss smirks, "True."

Good tact and sharpness in and out of battle were some of the qualities Nate chose her as his new ship's captain, she also had excellent knowledge in ship combat in space and sea having served in the Atlantic Federation Orbital Fleet and the navy of her home nation of Orb. She would have been hired by the Sahakus to captain the new Izumo-class if Nate hadn't beaten them to her.

Like everyone else in the Shroud, Alana was a Spartan, she was the former Wind corps Pilus Prior.

"Campos," Nathaniel calls a dark skinned man in CIC who was the ship's XO. "What's the status on the Lead Zeppelin?"

"They've made it into the PLANTs without a hitch, boss." Luisito Campos reports.

Wolfthorne nods, "And what's the status of the Lucifer and Uriel?"

"They're in position to support Grey's assault."

Nate nods again and then turns back toward Aprilius One, "I guess all we can do now is wait."

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**Outside the defense perimeter of March City**

The Lucifer and Uriel were also cloaked in Mirage Colloid, sitting quietly for the joint operation with Grey and his collaborators. The Shroud was there for largely another operation but had agreed to warn them of any reinforcements that may come to them.

Inside the first ship of the class, a woman with long blonde hair with turquoise blue eyes stood in the middle of the bridge, forward to the left of the captain. She wore the a navy blue khaki uniform of an Equatorial Union Special Forces officer, over it a black trench coat that had a yellow braided cord linking the two sides just below chest level. The coat was worn only by Field Marshals of the Union, these men and women had authority over all branches of the military and are below only to the President of the EU.

Julian Weather tirelessly stares out to blackness of space, she had just got word from an outpost in Libya that the Archangel had been found.

The call sign, 'Portinari', was used only by when the news was urgent.

However, right now, she had other things to worry about. If Grey's intelligence was accurate, the ZAFT transport fleet should be moving the prototype within eighteen hours. And they were to support Grey and the "Januarius Faction" as they've been dubbed by some of her colleagues in its capture.

Grey's group was to be composed of captured Earth alliance ships, remotely-operated Moebius mobile armors and unregistered ZAFT mobilesuits. Her group in the other hand had the two Lucifer-classes and their combined mobilesuit compliment, of which was mostly composed of the Long Dagger S.

The GAT-01DS Long Dagger S was pretty much like its original version except it had better avionics, an improved vernier system and an EE20 Aerial Maneuver pack. It also had laminated armor and Mirage Cloak. Laminated armor was essentially an improved version of the Archangel's heat resistant ablative gel but was made to temporarily resist beam weapons. Mirage Cloaks were self-powered backpacks that enable the use Mirage Colloid. This of course made the units invisible, which was the key because they weren't supposed to be here. Also, the back-packs had their own small battery so as not to cause strain the battery of user's mobilesuit. Also in their arsenal was one GAT-X Zero series unit, which had just been completed days ago. Another was placed inside the Jamie and Adam's ship, Lead Zeppelin in case they needed extra help.

"So, it comes to this." Julian shook her head, unable to believe the events that were unfolding around her.

She was shocked when Miyuki Kajiura proposed the partnership just before her disappearance in the PLANTs, personally meeting her no less, one of the founding members of the Covenant.

She couldn't believe it as first, that Miyuki would actually desert ZAFT. Julian knew her very well, being friends with her and Antonio for a long time. But when she found out the reason of the young mother's betrayal, she was more than happy to help.

Though the N-Jammers were common knowledge within the group and several in close associate groups, she was the only one who knew about GENESIS. The only person she mentioned of this was Nathaniel and this was because she trusted him well enough not to tell the others.

She sadly shook her heard again, taking off her glasses to rub her nose bridge. She suddenly thinks of her father who had long since passed away.

_Dad… If you were still alive and you saw this… what would you think? _

Shaking such thought from her mind, Julian turns to the Lucifer's captain.

"Keith, tell our pilots and the Uriel to be on standby, we don't actually know when things may start after all."

"Yes ma'am," Captain Keith Tyre nods.

With that, she heads to the elevator door, "I'll be going as well. I'll leave things here to you."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Tassil, Libya, African community**

It was already midday, there were still refugees left, waiting for their turn to be ferried to the Desert Dawn's stronghold. Natarle, Mu, Luke, Daniel, Frank, Dr. Hibson and several others were tending to those wounded and distributing rations.

Mu and Antonio took turns following the convoy as carried the refugees, one staying in Tassil while the followed trucks to the base and back.

Antonio went to the make-shift triage center set up by Hibson and company for water and a smoke. As he drank off his canteen, he sees Natarle several feet away.

He watch place her cap on a young boy with what seemed to be his mother and the offering him ration stick. After a little coercion, the boy takes the stick and hungrily eats it up.

The Equatorial soldier laughs at what happens next, after her rare act of kindness, Natarle finds herself surround by other children apparently wanting one too. Antonio found her reaction priceless.

Not one to let her be in that awkward moment, he quickly takes a pack of ration sticks he kept in his cockpit and goes to her rescue.

"Uh…" Natarle looks around at the little kids that gathered, "I don't have that many…"

"Well I do," Antonio chimes in, juggling several ration sticks with hand. He then calls them in Arabic, which he was sure they would understand, the young ones ran toward him. He gives them each a stick, even letting them have some of his water.

After satisfying all of them, Antonio heads to Natarle.

"You gotta watch with these kids," He began. "Give one a treat and they'll _all_ want one."

She nods, grateful. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

The two watch as the children began playing several other soldiers.

The ensign looks at the corner of her eye, "You were speaking from experience, Anton?"

The man grins, "As a former ground-pounder and father, yeah, you could say that."

"I see…" She smiles, "You've always been good with kids."

"Yeah, it wouldn't to bad being a parent with me now would it?"

Natarle blushes furiously at the remark, "Let's not go there…"

"Okay," Antonio had his mischievous smile in his face. "I can wait."

She exhales loudly whilst shaking her head, seemingly exasperated. While he chuckles, full of mirth.

Natarle watches him as he went off to go play with Tassil children, he had quickly become popular with them as he gave treats and played with them during took his breaks. It was an understatement to say Antonio Le Saint Claire was fond of children, aside from his military career, Antonio was known in his country for supporting various charities and causes that helped children.

She smiles fondly at him as he really got involve with them, carrying one boy over his shoulders. They seem to bring out his best qualities, showing a more childlike side of him.

Natarle balled her hand into a fisted, wishing what he said will really be her future.

But the truth and reality was it'll never happen, and Antonio just didn't know it yet.

_I sorry…_

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**Januarius One, Plants**

Several dozen men and women were gathered in one of the utility hangars

Visch lets out a low whistle when he sees the equipment that Grey had been gathered for them, "Ginn High Maneuvers, Ginn Assault Types and Cgues."

"And all of 'em are brand new," Norris Packard murmurs as gave the units a closer look. "Grey must've got this stuff straight from Maius."

"If you think that's cool, check this out." Marvin calls as looks at the weapon storage racks, "M66 "Canus", M68 "Pardus", M68 "Cattus", M69 "Barrus", 76mm sniper rifles, heck Grey's even got us a bunch those 27mm armor assault rifles and some extra Assault Shroud parts."

"I did say a 'full mobilesuit arsenal' didn't I?" Grey replies, walking toward them. "Well people, choose your mobilesuits and weapons, we'll be rendezvousing with our ships within a few hours."

The pilots respond with simple nods and responses, then move their units.

Visch's friend, Packard chooses a Ginn High Maneuver, arming it with a JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle, a heavy sword and two wrist-mounted dual rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Marvin picks a Cgue and armed it with a standard Assault Shroud load out except for the hand armament which was a "Cattus" recoilless rifle and a machine gun.

Chris also picks a Cgue and she gives it the standard Cgue load out in addition to a pair of Assault Shroud shoulder mounted gatling guns.

Shiho decides to use a Ginn High Maneuver arming it a pair of heavy swords and a 27mm armor assault rifle.

Grey already had a mobilesuit ready for him, a Ginn High Maneuver Type, which was set up the standard way except it had a second seat for a co-pilot. Visch was to take the second seat as he was voted by everyone to be the one who'll pilot the Guardian.

Normally, most pilots wouldn't set up their units this way largely because some of this equipment was either unavailable to them or hard to maintain in a regular basis. Example, Visch would have preferred to use the JDP2-MMX22 assault rifle over the machinegun but the problem was they tend to break down more often than the machineguns and replacements were hard to come by. Or like Marv, he would prefer to be flying with an Assault Shroud despite the penalty on mobility, the problem was, like the 27 mm. assault rifles, replacements were hard to obtain.

However now, here they were, provided with a complete collection of equipment, all brand new at that.

_Veteran pilots with customized mobilesuits versus greenhorns with standard ones_, Visch thought with a crooked smile. _This'll be a short engagement._

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**Outside the defense perimeter of March City**

Inside the Lucifer-class Uriel, The newly-knighted Lady Lucrencia Noin of the Order of Ame gets herself into her pilot suit, after receiving orders by to in standby. She stretches her arms a bit to loosen some of the stiff fabric around there.

When she steps out of the women's locker room, she finds a certain fellow knight waiting for her.

The platinum blonde, blue-eyed, Sir Zechs Merquise was leaning on the wall opposite of the door she exited with his arms crossed.

"You're ready for this Noin?" He asks calmly, though it didn't show he was little concerned for Noin as she hasn't been in space combat for quite a while.

The black haired woman smiles, "Don't worry too much, sure I admit my skills in space are a little rusty, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. Besides, I'm going to using the prototype for this engagement."

He simply looks at her for several, then stands on his own feet and nods. "Okay, just take care of yourself."

She nods as they both head to the hangar.

Inside the Uriel's hangar, the SK/XG-01W Wing and the SK/XG-05S Shen Long were on opposite sides, looking at the each other. Next to them were Noin and Zechs' own mobilesuits.

Zechs' unit, the SK/MS-M1A1 Tallgeese Mk. II, an upgraded version of the original, it was identical to the original four Tallgeese except it is slightly more streamlined. It had better sensors and stronger armor plating incase there was a need to deactivate its PSA.

Noin was assigned the OMU-X01 Taurus, the unit that will become Scandinavia's new standard interceptor mobilesuit. It had fewer armaments and no PSA but is still just as formidable as the Tallgeese, being more maneuverable especially in fighter mode.

They shared the hangar with several Long Dagger S, their pilots were also suited up. The mechanics were double checking the units making sure absolutely nothing will go wrong.

Heero Yuy was busy talking to the head mechanic, making sure the Wing was adjusted to his specifications. While Wufei quietly meditated inside the Shen Long's cockpit.

The Wing pilot sensed Noin and Zechs' arrival and looks up.

"The specifications to your mobilesuit are all done Noin, but try testing them up first." He began, "Tell me, if needed to be adjusted a little more. When that's done all we have to do is give it a Mirage Cloak."

Noin nods, "Thanks…" She then smiles mischievously, "… Sir Yuy."

With that, Heero gives her a mildly irritated frown, his makes a swatting gesture at her, shaking his head as he went back to the head mechanic. He had been knighted into the Order via the recommendation of Relina Dorlan's mother, Noin had been poking jokes at him that he was knighted because of his affair with the young princess. And he didn't like being addressed to with 'Sir'.

She chuckles a bit, patting on his shoulder as she heads to the Taurus.

Heero turns to look at her as she went, "I'm going to get back to you one of these days… just you wait."

Noin sheepishly waves a hand at him, "Yeah, yeah. I've heard that before."

The young brown hair coordinator then turns to Zechs, "What about you? You want anything done to yours?"

Zechs shook his head, "Its fine just the way it is, thanks anyway." He then smirks, "Sir Yuy."

Heero only rolls his eyes.

**Inside the original Lucifer**

Its hangar was just as busy as it is in the Uriel. The SK/XG-03H Heavy Arms, which was being fitted with a Mirage Cloak, and SK/XG-04SR Sandrock, stood side by side. Opposite to them was Xuiying Hong's Tallgeese which had been refitted to Mk. II standards. They shared the hangar with several Long Daggers, their pilots were also suited up. Quatre Raberba sat inside his mobilesuit, optimizing the OS for space combat, Trowa Barton was leaning just outside of the cockpit. Both did some small talk to each other. On the hangar floor, Xuiying was practicing Tai Chi out of the way of the busy mechanics, slowly and gracefully moving her body. They had just got their pilots suits on after they received the standby order.

Next to the prototype units was another mobilesuit. This mobile unit had basic GAT type frame, but was somewhat thinner, attaining an almost feminine look, earning it the nickname 'the Virgin'. The head was drastically different compared to other G-units, the 'V' antennae was much broader, allowing space for an extra optical camera on the forehead.

Xuiying happens to notice the suit's pilot coming into the hangar, Julian Weather, who was also wearing her pilot suit.

She stood attention and gave her a salute. "You're going into the sortie too, Marshal Weather?"

Julian or "Jules" as she's called by those close to her, returns the salute and nods, "Yes, in fact I am, Commander Hong. I'm not required to stay behind the line anymore like I use to be." She then gives her a smile. "Besides, I've always been one who prefers to be hands-on on things."

Xuiying chuckles, nodding, "Yes, I can see that, Jules."

"So…" The raven haired, blue eyed Chinese descent Equatorial quickly became serious again, bearing face of concern. "You've hear from the news from Captain Samsonov, right?"

Xuiying Hong had been one of the students of Antonio's mother, Mei Lin 'Lin-Lin' Le Saint Claire who, aside from being the country's head of the senate, was a renowned martial artist in the EU since she was young. She had been good friends with Antonio for just as long, even after they broke up they were still close.

"Of Anton's depression getting worse again?" Jules sighs, nodding. "Yes…"

"Do you think it's got something to do with…?" Xuiying hesitates, "You know…"

The Equatorial Marshal nods grimly, "That and George Allster's death."

Xuiying shook her head, "You think he'll be okay?"

"Probably, I not sure," Julian reluctantly admitted. " "But he's got Mike and Yuki with him."

"Besides," She then smiles, trying to think positive. "He's always been a tough S.O.B."

Xuiying smile too, "Yeah…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**While different things were unfolding out in space**

Inside the Archangel which was still in the Desert Dawn's base, Earth Forces Lt. Miyuki Kajiura, wearing a mechanic's overalls, frowned at the Strike as she surveyed the damage that was done to it just a day ago. The whole upper right side of the mobilesuit was totaled severely and would require major repair. Her Phantom was faring no better, missing both arms.

The former ZAFT commander shook her head, she knew it would easily have been much worse if the BuCUE Jackal pilot actually wanted to kill them. Hands down, she and Kira lost to Master Pierce Rayer 'the Beast of Kaohsiung' yesterday.

_I've gotta tweak the suits mechanically for desert combat, _She thought. _Better ask Luke and Mike help with that… And next time we should have all three Sky Graspers up in the air with us. God, I wish Wynn and Regina are here. They would have made all the difference._

Miyuki then looks down to her right hand, as she balled it into a fist. "And I've got to get my old edge back…"

She was more aware that her skills, as good as they still were, weren't the quality it used to be almost a year ago.

It wasn't her strength or speed that weakened, it was her mental focus and personal resolve in battle. Those are what helped her negotiate battles like a gull through a storm and to look into death's eyes and make it blink. They were much firmer now than they were when she started her journey with the Archangel, but they were still a long way to reach her peak again.

Murrue watched from a distance, making sure her friend will not notice her.

Even though they haven't talked of her problems lately, she knew Miyuki for a very long time and could see the trouble in her eyes. She initially thought of walking over there and try talking with her about it, but given the situation and some thought, Murrue knew it was best to let Yuki deal with it on her own, for now.

This was her own personal battle, no different to the one Murrue fought – and probably still was, accepting that her own best friend may have killed her fiancé a year ago.

_If it hurts too much_, the young acting captain of the Archangel murmurs in her thoughts. _I'm here for you_.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Januarius One, Plants**

Grey was tapping commands into the computer, he too was already in a pilot suit save for the helmet. When he was finally done, he undoes the latch that keeps his mask in place and takes it off, he had to because it couldn't fit into the helmet.

He was approximately as old as Visch, in his late twenties. He had marigold eyes, dark brown hair that reached his shoulders, a short beard and mustache.

"Ahh…," Grey bends his neck on all sides. "The one good thing of being AWOL is I don't have to wear this damn thing as often."

He was born in the Atlantic Federation, just after the 'Coordinator boom,' a very bad time to have a coordinator in the family.

But after his parents lost their first two children a hereditary disease, they didn't care much that they'd be ostracized by society for what they did. All they wanted was a child they hold care and not just to bury, even if it meant he would be coordinator.

Needless to say, Grey had a very rough childhood, usually being gang-beaten by teen Blue Cosmos wannabes, stared at by people in public or things being said behind his back became common for him.

He found comfort in his parents and his younger sister, who he was very close to. She wasn't a coordinator, but she survived birth, perfectly healthy.

Grey left his home country to study in the Plants, but when he heard that Blue Cosmos had begun to gain influence in the Atlantic Federation government he knew could never go back. Under an alias, he entered ZAFT as a technician but he quickly finds his calling in intelligence gathering where he excelled. It didn't take long for then Special Forces commander Miyuki Kajiura to offer him a spot on her team.

As he began becoming an authority figure within ZAFT, he knew that if didn't hide his identity, it wouldn't take long for OMNI to figure out who he was. His parents and sister were still in the Atlantic Federation.

Grey wore the mask to protect them for this reason.

Visch and the others knew that he went to great lengths to do just that, even as far as hurting them and himself, according to the ZAFT official record, Grey under his real name was killed during the blockade skirmishes before the war.

He could only imagine the grief of his parents and sister when they received the news.

Grey sighs, looking at the photo under his mask. It was of the much younger him and the family he left behind. Sometimes, just looking at it hurts, and sometimes he would cry so much that he wondered if he'd ever stop.

He fingers the faces of his mother, his father and her little sister.

"Hey man," Visch Donahue pops into the Recon Ginn's cockpit. "How're ya doin'?"

"I fine," Grey quickly places the mask aside and looks up, "Thanks."

The one eyed soldier of the mist in his eyes, "Thinking about them again?"

Grey to the side, a little bit embarrassed. "Yeah…"

Visch places a hand on his shoulder, understanding exactly how it felt. He too lived a difficult childhood in Scandinavia, though not as extreme as Grey's experience, but discrimination had left him with painful memories the same.

"It's okay to feel that way, Durand." He says calling him by his real name, "Its part of being human."

"Yeah, I guess." Grey murmurs. "But sometimes, sometimes I wonder if me and Yuki did the right thing."

"Even if it wasn't," Visch raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Would you have felt any better if you didn't?"

"No, I guess not." Grey smirks, impressed by the man's reasoning. "You'd make a good counselor y'know that?"

The Wild Thunder snickers, "Yeah, right."

"Well anyway," Visch then waves, leaving the cockpit. "I just went here to say good luck out there."

"You too, Visch."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Inside Aprilius Two, April City**

The Lead Zeppelin was docked in port, it was the only non-PLANT/ZAFT ship that was docked in the colony.

With tensions between the PLANTs and Earth growing constantly and with the attack on the capital colony just a month ago, the red tape that governed which ships may enter into the PLANTs had grown thicker and regulations had become tougher.

Jamie Savage sat on the Helmsman's chair, seemingly exhausted. Adam Hyneman seemed to be in similar shape as he sat on the Captain's chair, their ship just barely pasted the new requirements.

Aside from the owners of the ship, there were other people in the bridge, as with other Junk Guild crews, they were motley bunch.

Hilde Guthrie, a 17 year coordinator from Scandinavia with black hair and purple eyes, was in the ship's CIC. Brunette-haired, brown eyed 22 year old former ZAFT LRRP pilot, Naomi Fluegel, sat in fire control. Amy Willow, 24, who had blue eyes and red hair, was a former navy intelligence officer for the Atlantic Federation, she sat in ECM. Red haired, brown eyed, Carrey Byron from Orb, 18, was in charge of communications. Black-haired, brown eyed Natural Grant Imahara, 20, former East Asian Republic electronics specialist sat in the second seat in ECM. Brown-haired, brown eyed, 23 year old Equatorial Natural Torrie Belucci, the second helmsman and pilot when Jamie was gone.

"Y'know Jamie," Adams grumbles to his partner. "Our ship isn't exactly the most legal civilian used ship there is but, sheesh these new regulations are ridiculous!"

"I agree with you there, partner." Jamie shook his head, "Well, look at the bright side," "At least they didn't find _it_."

Adam nods, it was times like these he was glad they made hidden storage compartments to keep their more illegal gear.

"Speaking of _it_," Adam turns to Hilde, "What the status on the X015?"

The young operator checks in with the hangar, "Sir, the Huckebein is doing fine, he should be operational in several hours."

Jamie looks over his shoulder and nods, "Good, hopefully though we don't have to use him."

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**Meanwhile, Martius One**

Black hair, dark brown eyed Reno Pagadua studies the fairly tall, platinum haired woman seated behind her wide desk. Ezalia Joule, representative of March City, PLANTs, where most of ZAFT's mobile forces and weaponry was developed and manufactured. It was only the two of them in her office, Tank and Kyoko were busy examining and collecting the various files and records provided by the PLANTs and ZAFT.

As she spoke – her voice confident and self-important – Reno knew one thing for certain.

She was lying.

"As one of the Representatives of the PLANTs, that none of the sensitive details of this matter not to become public," She drones on. "I believe that's the reason why you've been picked by your superiors for this, and I hope you and your colleagues can put a desirable to this matter."

Reno's brown eyes focused on a ring on the woman's left ring finger, which she began twisting. Despite her seemingly relaxed complexion, her blue eyes gave her away as of deceptive, occasionally darting around her office, not focusing on any one thing, natural behavior for someone who was hiding something, for a coordinator or natural.

As a veteran investigator and former Equatorial Naval Intelligence interrogator, Reno had learned to trust his instincts about people. He could tell Ms. Joule, despite being a politician, didn't seem to be comfortable lying to someone up close. Though she tried to suppress it, her body movements – darting eyes and fidgeting movements – suggested she was being insincere. Or at least withholding a part of info he should know.

Reno suddenly forward in his chair

"I don't want to be rude or anything," He breaks in. "But I have a reason to think you're not being straight with me. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Joule's eyes widen inside surprise, but quickly recovered apparently somewhat expecting that question.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to be satisfied with the information provided to you, Mister…"

Picking up his briefcase, Reno suddenly stood up and began walking to the door. "Sorry, Ms. Joule, I just can't work that way. Without all the facts, I'd just be wasting my time. Goodbye, me and my colleagues will leave immediately."

Ezalia scowls, not bothering acting professional anymore, quickly not liking the man in front of her. "You're bluffing."

Reno raises an eyebrow, "We'll see about that."

She panics watching the man go for the door, she wasn't truly sure if he was just bluffing but she knew she or the National Defense council couldn't afford him leaving like this.

"W-wait!" She began, "Mr. Pagadua please be reasonable, I only left out military related information, those can't be divulged to outsiders withou-!"

"In case you didn't bother reading my file, Representative Joule." Reno interrupts, his voice a little more forceful. "I'm a reserve officer for the Equatorial military with a background in intelligence work. I'm perfectly capable of handling sensitive information and I'm from a neutral country that doesn't want anything to do with the war."

Ezalia's eyes narrow, her contempt of him began to show. "What says you couldn't possibly sell that information?"

Reno winces at that insult to his integrity, he was about to give her a piece of his mind. But the reins of his self-control quickly stemmed that desire.

_She's just provoking you_, he thought. _She's got more to lose if you do leave this room._

Reno lifts his shoulders to shrug, "If that's how you feel, fine. I'm leaving. No sense working with people who don't want to work with you in the first place. Good day to ma'am."

Seeing that her taunt backfire, Ezalia drops her head, she knew had she lost out.

Reno was already opening the door when she calls, "Fine, I'll provide you what I can…"

He closes the door, he walks toward her desk, planting both hands on it.

"Good," Reno smirks a bit. "Now, maybe we can really somewhere with this."

Ezalia Joule scowls at him, as her furious blue eyes met with his calm brown ones, feeling humiliated, because of a natural no less.

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**Elsewhere in Aprilius One**

Kyoko's fingers busily rapped away on a keyboard as goes through the data given by ZAFT authorities. She was largely alone in the room, several boxes full various visual, audio and other records from Junius Seven were on the table. Despite their number, she had already gone through most of them, even if Kyoko was Natural, she was quite good at what she did.

Her partner, Tatanka 'Tank' Le Saint Claire was busy collecting similar data from another department. Or so she thought.

Tank enters the room, holding two mugs of coffee.

"Hey there Kyo," He calls. "Thought might want something nice and warm."

She looks up from the screen, smiling as she reaches for the mug Tank offers her. "Thanks, Tank." She takes a sip, "You done with the ZAFT military reports?"

The younger Le Saint Claire brother nods, "Yeah, most of the stuff was already sorted, didn't took me long."

He then tilts towards the pile of record on the desk, "What about you?"

"Almost done," Kyoko held her mug with both hands as she leans against the chair's backrest. "To tell you the truth though, I was expecting more."

Tank's lightness gives to a more serious look, he nods. "Me too, I can't help but feel like I only got a fraction of what ZAFT has."

Kyoko shook her head grimly, "Reno isn't gonna be happy."

Her partner shrugs, "Not much we can do. ZAFT and the Supreme Council will probably say the remaining data is related to vital military secrets and with this war going on..."

"Getting those is like pulling teeth out of a crocodile by hand." Kyoko finishes wryly.

Tank nods as take another sip from his mug. "That pretty much sums it up."

"Makes me wonder why Michelle only sent us up here," Kyo mutters as she resumes her work. "If they're just gonna act like this just the same…"

"Politics and diplomacy," Tank replies, being a Le Saint Claire, he knew fairly well how governments worked. "By sending just a small group like ours into the PLANTs, we're showing that we're truly committed to doing our jobs and only just that."

She looks at him, funnily "You? Commitment, a Le Saint Claire? Now there's a shock."

Tank rolls his eyes, taking the jabs of humor at his family's flirtatious reputation well enough. "Ha, ha, for you're information, I'm not like most of family when it comes to relationships."

Kyo raises an eyebrow. "Oh? How girlfriends have ever had?"

"Three."

She looks at him, skeptically. "Yeah right…"

Kyoko enjoyed antagonizing her partner, they knew each other since the Euro-Pac war, when she was part of the Orb Navy fighter pilot and he was still an EU marine airman. They, Terry Lockwood and Heinz Grimm formed 617 Attack/Fighter Squadron 'War Dogs'.

"It's true," Tank replies exasperatedly.

Kyoko looks at him plainly, "You got proof?"

As she predicted, Tank's mouth hanged as he struggled to counter. "Why should I tell you my…!"

"Never mind," Kyo cuts him, seeing she was going a little far, though was still chuckling.

"I came here gave you coffee too…" Tanks grumbles.

"You did," Kyo nods, "Thanks Tank, it was getting dull in here."

"Sure," Tank takes a seat next her. "Want some help?"

Kyoko smiles, nodding, "Yeah, that'll be nice. You can start by doing…"

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**Elsewhere in the PLANTs…**

Lounging on a chair in his shirtsleeves, one leg over the padded arm, Reed Leighman smiles as the woman before the television repeated what he said to her. There was a slight glaze in her eyes. A young, pretty woman, even in the green ZAFT uniform she wore, but that was not what interested him of her.

Reed was a tall man, dark and handsome despite the white streaking on his temples. Coercion had showed no difficulties with this woman.

Her attractive image reflected off the pale blue eyes of another man in the room, he was also tall, but heavily built and light skinned. His arms were crossed, his body leaning against the wall and he wore the red uniform of ZAFT. He kept silent, occasionally running his hand through his short blonde hair.

A scowl then formed in Reed's face. It did with some. A few – a very few – had the strength of will so firm that their minds searched, even if unaware of the gaps to which to escape. He still needed this woman, unfortunately. She could be handled, but she kept trying to escape even though unaware she was trapped.

Eventually, he'll no longer need her. Though he still had to decide whether to just send her away or get rid of her in more permanent means, there were risks on either choice. Nothing much that could threaten him or the plan of course, but he was a careful man. Small dangers had a way of growing if ignored, and he always chose his risks carefully.

_To kill her, or to keep her?_

The end of the woman's speech pulled him from his thoughts.

"When you leave here," Reed told her, "You will remember only your usual morning walk."

She nods eagerly to please him. She had been 'conditioned' several months ago, and would follow commands if said to her a block sentence that had no meaning except to her.

Repeated use of coercion and the drugs required made obedience easier even when it was not in use, but there always a risk of it wearing off at an inconvenient time.

With that done, he nods to Ivan Holst.

"Take her back to the street," Reed orders

"Yes sir," The redcoat replies, nodding. He gently guides the young woman by one arm. She went submissively, her eyes still fogged.

"One of your pretty play things?" A voice said as the large redcoat and the woman left, "You have good taste I must say."

He turns to the other door that led to his home's balcony. There stood a woman, wearing the white coat of a commander. Tall and slender, she was beautiful as a flawless rose, her dark russet eyes bottomless voids, her hair, smooth platinum waves that flowed down her shoulders.

"And why are you sneaking up on me, Rosavia?" Reed's eyes narrow, keeping on hand on his sidearm incase he needed it. "If wanted to speak to me, send a message prior, and I will when and where. And if."

Rosavia Zinoviev doesn't reply to his question, instead, she answers. "You were always a pig, Reed, but seldom a fool. That woman is from ZAFT's Military Intelligence, what if the miss her? Do you also send of signs to show where you are?"

"She's hardly trained enough to be let out without a keeper." He sneers, "That goes for what's left of ZAFT's 'intelligence' divisions. They can't even find traitors within their midst."

"Would you still be so smug if they find you?" the cool mockery in her voice wounded him, but he doesn't let it show.

"I take my precautions, Rosavia. Rather than one of my 'play things' as you call them. She's one of MI's spies around here. She reports exactly what I want her to, and eager to do so. Lukav told me where to find her." Leighman's eyes then narrow, "Why have you come, Rosavia? Surely not to aid defenseless women."

She merely shrugged, walking to the bar. "You can play with your toys as much as you wish, as far as I'm concerned. You offer little hospitality, Leighman, so forgive me if…" She takes a shot glass and fixes herself a drink.

"Why?" He demanded again.

She sips calmly before speaking. "Since you avoid the rest of us, few of the others will be coming here. I came first so you would know it was not an attack."

"Others?" He suddenly laughed, "This not an attack, eh? You weren't the type to attack openly. Always favoring the flanks and rear. Fine, I'll trust you, but only for now. As long as you're in my sight." Rosavia was almost like Cynthia Knowles, trust her and you're probably going to regret it later. But for Zinoviev, it wasn't her trustworthiness that was the problem, her temper was uncertain at best. The only people that can truly trust were her brother Jared and Lukav Minaev.

"Who else is part of this?"

He had a clear warning this time, as his servants called him through the PA from the first floor, moments later a man wearing a white uniform enters the room.

Lukav Minaev was slender but well-built, his stride was evenly paced and dignified, has manner relaxed. Light brown eyes and well-groomed hair.

As he entered, Lukav eyes Reed with an arched eyebrow.

"I expected some maids and at least one girl dancing for you, Reed. Have you grown tired of your sport after all these years?"

Rosavia chuckles softly, raising her glass to him, "It's been a while, Lukav."

The new arrival smiles thinly, "Yes it has… How's your brother by the way?"

"Jared's doing fine."

Reed didn't even notice the other person who followed Lukav, a redcoat wearing woman sheepishly pushing her blue hair behind her ears. In the company of others but Rosavia, Faolain Graendal would be a stunningly beautiful woman, lush and ripe. Next to Rosavia however, she was only plumply pretty. But if the inevitable comparison bothered her, her amused smile didn't show at all.

"Good to see you, Reed dear." She gives him a mischievous wink.

"Should I expect more visitors, Rosavia?" Reed growled. "Have you convinced Demandred to stop thinking he's all but god himself?"

"I doubt he's arrogant enough for that," She replied smoothly. "He can see where it took Ishmael, Beatrice hardly broke a sweat killing him. Anyway, only the four of us will meet here today. After Irene's betrayal, we can't be certain."

"Are you sure Irene betrayed us?" Faolain requires, going next to also get a drink. "She never had the courage to take the chance before. Where did she find the nerve now?"

Rosavia's briefly show an amused smile, "The thought of her little pets losing their purpose and cast aside seemed to be too much for her. And when her choice was their death or joining a doomed cause, I presume it required little thought for her to choose."

"And a little time, a bet," Faolain snorts lounging on a long sofa. "If you were close enough to know all this, why didn't you kill her? You would've had no trouble dealing her or her creations."

"I'm not as quick to kill as you are. It's the final choice with no going back if you make a mistake, wasteful when there are usually more profitable ways."

"Besides," Reed cuts in. "That Kajiura woman is more of a danger."

The room silenced, no one could disagree with that. Ever since the day Miyuki Kajiura had disappeared, it had greatly made influencing Patrick Zala harder as he became recluse, rarely going to his office in the National Defense Council these days. What made matters worse, she had critical information of GENESIS and no knew where she was. There were rumors that she was with Legna in the Earth Forces' legged ship but there was no actual proof she was there.

None of them knew Miyuki and Morrigan are one.

"That's why we sent Knowles to earth," Faolain began, "Right?"

"No, she's there only to keep tabs on Legna," Rosavia snorts. "She's hardly a danger to her. Legna is one of the best pilots of ZAFT, second only to Goud Vair and her fellow Swords."

"I've leaked information of her to our Eurasian friends," Reed said, lounging his arms on the chair again. "They should be able to take care of her for the time being, if they find Kajiura that is."

The others nod, the conversation among the collaborators then shifted to small, mundane talk, at least for now.

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**Outside the January City perimeter**

A sizable detachment of GINNs and CGUEs move through space. At the center of it, Visch flies his GINN HM, warily eyeing a patrol unit of Home Defense GINNs coming to them.

The patrol passes, its pilots not paying much attention to the larger group. In the wake of the Attack on Aprilius One and subsequent decree to increase the defense force, the probably patrol assumed they were additional units pulled to defending the PLANTs.

Donahue looks at his scanners, watching the signal of the patrol continuing on its patrol.

_Sloppy_. He shakes his head, _instead of getting them in line, the increase in defenses made 'em slack off even more._

Almost as though he heard him, Grey murmurs. "The defense force increase gave a false sense of security, even in DI. Almost everyone's assuming that no one in their right mind would attack the PLANTs, now that Jachin Due is much closer now and the home defenses have doubled in size."

Visch snorts, "We may not be attacking the PLANTs, but this should show the PLANTs and 'em bigwigs in High Command that there ain't no guarantees in war. When the war started, we were cocky enough to assume that the Earth Forces'll never destroy one of the PLANTs and they proved us wrong."

The one-eyed pilot from Scandinavia sighs, "Apparently, people forget that painful lesson already."

"Bloody Valentine isn't something people would want to remember y'know." Shiho, who apparently was listening in, replies, "I can understand why people would want to forget it."

"Well they shouldn't," Visch answers with a stern tone. "No much how much it hurts, even if it is a terrible loss, we have to remember it. To actually forget a moment which took away so many lives, like it were just some inconvenient moment of our history. That's no better an injustice than to those who ordered to launch that nuke."

Everyone turned silent, no one spoke until a bleep from their sensors indicated there was a fleet of Earth Forces ships up ahead.

"Commander," a voice cracks in Grey's radio. "Is that you?"

Grey immediately keys in. "Yes it's me, get the hatches open, we're coming in."

"Yes sir."

"There they are people," Grey then call to his group. "Head to the ship you're assigned to, then standby for additional instructions."

"Roger," Came the general response.

"We're taking that Agamemnon second to the right."

"Check," Visch calls as he surveys at the ships they were using. The group composed of two Agamemnon-classes, three Nelson-classes and at least seven Drake-classes. Donahue was a little surprised at the size expecting a smaller group, he had a feeling some of those ships actually belonged to the Covenant.

He felt a little strange, even somewhat amused as he lines up to land in an Agamemnon-class named MacArthur. In his book, this was going to be one strange operation.

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**Meanwhile, back at the defense perimeter of March City**

"Marshal Weather," Captain Tyre of the Lucifer calls. "We have just got word from the Januarius Faction Fleet flagship, Wellington. They say they ready to begin operation."

"I see," Julian murmurs as she goes in the cockpit of her mobilesuit designated, GAT-X012F. "Call Javelin and Uriel, tell them to commence operation. Then call for level one battle stations."

"Will do, ma'am," Tyre then breaks off, seconds later the alarms for battlestations was sounded. The atmosphere throughout the ship quickly changed, everyone left what they were doing at got to their posts. Pilots went into their units, mechanics began clearing the hangar of unnecessary equipment, the medical staff got the ward and infirmary ready for casualties and damage-control teams were standing by, those in the bridge checking if everything was good to go.

As the organized chaos around here continued, inside her mobilesuit, Julian took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing…"

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**At the same time, inside Aprilius One**

Reno discretely glares at the Martius Representative as she walked ahead of him through a hall that would lead them to a military dock. The UN unit hasn't been in the PLANTs for so much as several hours and now ZAFT was shoving them into a ship that was to take them to Junius Seven like they were cattle. The veteran investigator had been cold-shouldered by the PLANTs and ZAFT before, but the treatment he and the others received was just blatantly abusive.

His eyes continuing to bore holes on Ezalia Joule's back, Reno was just barely keeping his temper in check as it continued to smolder, and the platinum-haired woman with him wasn't helping things.

They way she acted toward him and the whole investigation screamed to him she either cared less of it or she just didn't trust him. Most of the time he was doing diplomatic and/or political wrangling with Representative Joule, just so the UN investigation team would get what was required, casualty records, list of ZAFT personnel involved during the battle, witness statements and the recorded data that was savaged from Junius Seven, he had to argue intensely to get access for each of those.

One of the things they didn't get was authorization to interview people involved, with the war going on, Representative Joule said it was out of the question. Reno also had a feeling that was they reason Ezalia wanted them to go to Junius Seven now, so that they wouldn't have a chance to at least a few questions to ZAFT personnel they were allowed to talk with.

He sighs, now sincerely wishing he didn't take the case, the only reason he did is because his old Legate from the Guard recommended him to case. Antonio Le Saint Claire didn't recommend anything to him unless it was an absolutely needed to, and it usually meant it had to be solved. He also felt Antonio asking as a friend for him to solve this for him and Darren's widow.

Reno and Antonio had been close friends for most of their lives, knowing each other since their days in Reno's hometown of Calamba, Laguna, Philippines in the EU.

Reno shakes his head, inadvertedly muttering, "So this is ZAFT's idea of mutual cooperation."

Ezalia Joule rolls her eyes, for the last few hours, she had been stuck with him constantly bombarded with questions she couldn't answer him and requests she didn't have the authority to grant. She kept telling him this, but the damn Natural just refused to let up.

Like Reno, she was just barely keeping composed.

_He's got dedication, _She grudgingly admits in her thoughts. _I'll give him that_.

But Ezalia also admired him for it, she was sure that most people would have given up after going through half the trouble he was going.

"I admit, Mr. Pagadua." Ezalia replies to him as politely as she could, "that ZAFT and the National Defense Council may have went a little overboard with the restraints they have placed on you regarding some issues. But please understand that this nation is at war for its survival as a state. We can't afford to just trust anyone from Earth, not even the United Nations."

Reno stops, looking towards her with a plain stare. "So, you're actually telling me you don't trust me?"

Ezalia froze, at first doesn't answer. After a few moments, she turns around, facing him and looking at him in the eye. The two stare down, both faces were expressionless.

"No," she said frankly. "I don't, after what has happened in this war. I can't afford to be so trusting, not as long as this war goes on and as long as I have the duty to serve those who elected to represent them."

At first, Reno didn't show any reaction to this very blunt response, but then he raises his eyebrow.

He glances down the floor, a smile forming in his face. "Well, at least you're honest with me."

Reno then looks at her again, "If this investigation were to have taken place when the war is over, would you trust me then?"

Ezalia's eyes met his, calm as she could be, she nods. "Yes, maybe, you seem to be a decent and intelligent enough."

Reno again raises his eyebrow, smirking. "So, you _do_ know how to be nice and give compliments."

"I give them to those who deserve them." The March City representative returns the smirk, she then turns around and resumes walking.

The Equatorial Union native watches the woman move toward the end of the hall, amused.

"She's dedicated," he comments to himself as he walks after her. "I'll give her that."

**Meanwhile inside the bridge of the Junk Guild ship, Lead Zeppelin**

"Heads up," Grant Imahara calls, looking over his shoulder. "I just intercepted a wire, the UN team's scheduled to board a Nazca due to leave in oh-six hundred."

Jamie frowns, looking at his watch, "That was pretty quick." He comments as he goes over to Grant's station, "Where's the ship headed?"

"Debris Belt," Grant replies simply.

"Junius Seven," Adam muses, "Probably to rendezvous with the UN Investigation team already there."

"Probably," Jamie murmurs, looks over to Carrey. "Call port security, we're disembarking now."

"Right," The red-haired Orb national replies, making the call.

"Reese," Adam patches a links to the hangar, "You better tell Duo and D.N. to suit up."

Blood haired former ZAFT pilot adjusts her glasses as she nods, "Will do boss."

Duo Maxwell and D.N. Lockwood both worked as a Junk Guildsmen in between merc jobs they did. Reese Vickers was also with them, she usually worked down in the hangar.

Jamie then looks over to Naomi, "You better head down too. Amy, take over her post."

"Sir," Both women did they were ordered.

Savage then goes to the helm, rolling up his sleeves. The thick mustachioed former member of the Wind Corps takes his seat and begins prepping the systems, him hands move along the control with experienced speed, a little faster than most coordinators would prefer. Adam and the others also go into operation mode, moving to get the Lead Zeppelin moving.

Minutes later, the moment Port Security gave them clearance, Jamie activates his Laurasia's thrusters. The ship moves out of dock, after going through a short passage, they go through the port gate.

"Well," Adams says as they leave the PLANTs, "Here we go again."

Jamie nods as looks into the vastness of space in front of them, "Time to be Spartans again."

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**Back in the PLANTs**

Lukav clears his throat, "Well, shouldn't we start discussing what we're here for?"

Reed nods gruffly, finally settling back into his chair. "I have given Sahaku's mercenaries the time and travel path the Guardian's transport will be taking. I gave them specific instructions, they have to be complete imbeciles to get them wrong."

"The mobilesuit pilots assigned to the escorting ships are as inexperienced as they come," Faolain follows, absently playing with her hair, "Next best thing to not being trained at all."

"Good," Lukav nods, then shifts his eyes to Rosavia, "And the other project?"

Rosavia's lip curved concavely, "The assassins I hired are in place, ready to execute Representative Joule at any time. And I can't of a better time than now, with the UN investigation here in the PLANTs."

Reed nods in agreement, "More fuel into the fire, Zala will truly go over the edge by then."

"It should shift favor to Chua Tseng Yu's faction in the EU," Faolain adds. "Even the president and senate president can't stop their momentum by then."

"Yes," Lukav nods, "The EU must join the war, if the plan is to succeed."

He was leaning slightly forward, as if to put force on to the words. Lukav hardly showed tension. Why now?

"Why only the four of us?" Reed asks. "What about the others?"

"Aside from Jared who has to attend to other affairs, why more?" was Rosavia's reply. "If we can do it ourselves, why share the rewards more than needed?"

It was the sort of answer Leighman could understand. Not that he trusted her, or any of the others, but he understood ambition. They and the surviving others like them plotted amongst themselves for position up to the day the Matron herself had abandoned them in Mendel, and again when had escaped.

"Go on…" Reed murmurs, Lukav nods.

"First, someone else is trying to control Zala. We suspect it's either Commander Le Creuset or Demandred. Rau always preferred working from the shadows, his reasons for doing so however we are not sure. Demandred on the other hand, he always did hate naturals himself."

Reed nods, his own distrust to Naturals paled in comparison to Eliot Demandred's.

"How are two sure it's not either one of us here?" Graendal asks smoothly.

Rosavia's smile showed as many teeth as the other woman's and as little warmth. "Because you two choose to carve out niches for yourselves and secure your power while the rest slash at each other.

It was true. Reed himself preferred diplomacy and manipulation to open conflict, though he would not shy away from it if needed. Faolain's way has always been confrontation and conquest, but she took one solid step at a time.

Faolain leans forward, interested and Reed began to nod as she went on.

Lukav stayed silent, letting Rosavia do the talking for him.

It might well work. And if not…, he saw several ways to shape events to his advantage.

This could work out very, very well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Back down on Earth, just outside the Archangel**

Antonio sat on rock, on the outcropping that overlooked the Archangel, waiting for someone. As the wind blew to his left, he turns his head to the path that lead to the lowers levels. He sees Kira, walking up the hill, walking towards him.

He eyes him carefully as the young coordinator was three feet to his side. Antonio notes the look in his eyes, he had a pair that were very determined and seemed set for a purpose.

The veteran soldier speaks first, "Judging from what I see, I guess it was good thing we arranged this talk in a rather private area."

Kira nods, "I appreciate you giving some time for me Lt. Co – I mean Colonel."

Antonio nods back, "So, what you want to talk about, Ensign Yamato?"

The teen was about to reply, but the words couldn't seem to leave his mouth at first. Kira was genuinely struggling to get his thought out.

_C'mon_, he told himself. _You have to do this. You can't be a just civilian now, not anymore._

"Sir…" Kira begins hesitantly, "Sir, I want you to train me… train me to be a better pilot than I now."

Le Saint Claire blinked, genuinely surprised but he quickly recovers, raising an eyebrow at him. "And this is coming from the young man who just months ago refused to even set foot in a mobilesuit? What's with this complete turn around? Did anyone put you into this?"

"No sir," The teen in front of him replies, having more composure now. "I know this is unusual coming from me. But, sir, I really need to be stronger."

Antonio was surprised again and genuinely asks, "Why?"

Kira's fists tighten, his teeth gritting under his lips.

"I want to be able to protect those I care for because I'm tired of falling short, I'm tired of people dying because I'm not strong enough, I'm tired of being so useless."

Antonio looks at him, shocked. Knowing young Kira as he did, even he didn't fully expected for him to do _this_.

_Flay… What the hell did you tell to him…?_

He was shocked when he learned Flay was still in the Archangel, he was even more so when Miyuki told him what she had been doing around Kira. As much as he hated to admit it, he too was suspicious of Flay's actions since they reached the Eighth Fleet. He knew Flay enough well to see something was wrong, totally wrong.

Antonio closes his eyes as he rubs his face, _Jesus Christ… Why is this happening?_

"Sir?" Kira spoke up, "Is there something wrong?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing… Kira."

Antonio then looks at him in the eye, "Are you totally sure about this? I'm not known to be an easy trainer."

Kira nods almost instantly, "I have to, sir."

The older man nods at him, "Okay, your decision."

"Starting from now, you're under _my_ command and that means my orders will be above the ship's captain. And since you'll be training under me, I want you to come to me every time you're off-duty."

He pokes at Kira's arm, "Because, aside from simulation training I'll also be giving you conditioning training to toughen up your body and maybe even your wits."

"I'll let the captain know of the arrangement." He then stands up, still looking at Kira. "I hope y'know what you're getting yourself into."

Kira silently nods, Antonio then leaves the hill.

The Equatorial shook his head as he went down, wondering what _he_ got himself into.

_Well… At least I'll be able to keep and eye on Kira and Flay…_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Up in space, several hours later, **

Along the planned route between April and March City, Nazca-class Pasteur, accompanied by its sister ships, Amzen, Rembrandt, Gansback and Bonstell, move through space.

Despite the incident that happened just months ago, the ship captains were more concerned of being on time than being attacked. They were confident that the additional force of security patrols assigned to guarding the PLANTs would be a good enough deterrent. Besides, who in their right mind would attack five fully armed Nazca-classes on ZAFT's home turf?

There about to get an answer that question.

"Ghost to all units," Grey calls to the others. "Commence attack."

At the same moment, the ECM operator in the Gansback, to his surprise, detects several objects in his scanners.

"Enemy detected!" He calls, "Detecting at least three dozen mobile armors incoming!"

Ship's captain rapidly turns toward him with a look of disbelief, "What?-! Are they out of their minds?-! Sound battlestations and scramble our mobilesuits!"

The Gansback launches its GINNs, the other Nazcas do the same. In front of them, they saw the mobile armors speeding toward them. The green but determined ZAFT mobilesuit pilots steeled themselves for the coming clash.

It seemed to a fairly straight forward battle against TS-MA2 Moebius mobile armors… that was until their sensors told them what backing them up. To their surprise and bewilderment, behind the mobile armors were black GINNs of different variations.

"W-what the hell…?" One recent recruit stuttered as the mobile armors and GINNs close in. "How can they be able to…?"

"**Looks like those boys got shook up,"**

Norris comments as he readies his rifle. "Bet they weren't expecting GINNs."

"I guess that'll make our job easier," Marvin comments as they flew along side of him.

"Okay boys," Grey calls to them and the others. "Remember, just disable their mobilesuits, use lethal force only as a last resort."

"Yes sir."

Grey them goes back to his controls, manipulating the remote-operation Moebius armors ahead of them to increase speed. "I'll leave the driving to you, Visch."

The one-eyed pilot nods as he has the GINN HM attach the MA-M3 heavy sword to the bayonet rack below the JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle's muzzle. "Hope these boys were paying attention in class…"

**Close by, the Lucifer and the Uriel were still hidden in Mirage Colloid **

Inside both ship's hangars, the pilots scrambled their mobilesuit into position, waiting for their turn on the catapults.

Julian lined up her unit on the catapult carefully as she check and double check her systems. The former director of the Spartan project then took a deep breath, praying things would go according to plan.

On the other catapult, Xuiying made her usual prayer, then calls in. "Lt. Col. Xuiying Hong, Tallgeese launching!"

As the Tallgeese shot out, Julian calls out. "Marshal Julian Weather, Magdalia launching!"

After all the prototypes were launched, the Long Dagger Ss were then let loose, most stayed behind to guard the ships while the rest followed the prototypes. As they all entered a certain distance, all of them activated Mirage Colloid.

"Alright everybody," Julian calls out. "We're here to capture not destroy, disarming attacks only. Lethal force only when necessary."

"Copy."

The GAT-X012F Magdalia then pulls out a pair of beam pistols, Medusa and Medea. "Let's see if this suit can match up with her brothers' performances."

**The Javelin was the only one that didn't engaged, at least not yet.**

The only mobilesuit of its compliment out was Nathaniel's Tallgeese, which also was upgraded to Mk. II spec equipped with Mirage Cloak. It and the ship were both hidden within the colloid gas particle that surrounded them. Their job wasn't to attack, they were their job was to monitor the ZAFT frequencies for a response and to be a reserve in case something went wrong.

Nate calmly looked as the battle began, of the Spartan Eternals, he was famous for has calm relaxed demeanor when it came to battle.

The tall, dark-skinned half-Maui from Oceania was seemingly deep in thought.

"This shouldn't take too long…"

**Within the skirmish**

"C'mon!" Chris yelled as she charges in with he gatling blazing, taking out the missiles aimed at her and using tight maneuver to dodge bullets. She uses her shield's gun and her machinegun to attack, hitting the monoeyes and arms the ZAFT GINNs.

"Pathetic," she says in disgust. "Earth Alliance armor pilots are way tougher than this."

"They're just new guys," Shiho goes for a more close range style, wielding her armor assault rifle with a heavy sword attached. "Give them a break."

She weaves left and right past the wild fire of one enemy GINN, cut off its arms as she got within range. Another GINN tries to sneak her, attack with is heavy sword. "They still have a long way to go."

Shiho saw him coming, she leans to one side to dodge the attack and does a 180 diagonal spin to cut the arm and shoulder that held the sword, she then stabs her sword in the chest to strike the battery.

"Besides," Shiho then grins. "It's not like they're as good as _us_."

"You got than right!" Chris laughs.

**On another side of the battle,**

Opposite to where the Januarius Faction was, the CSA mobilesuits did their share.

"Beginning the mission," Using his Igelstellungs, Heero disables the arms off a GINN. Dodging fire directed toward him, he pulls out his beam saber and takes two others out of commission.

Not be outdone, Zech guides his Tallgeese at several GINNs, he fires his GAU-80 "Stubby" 60 mm. kinetic multi-barrel linear CIWS which, to the surprise of his opponents, were enough to pierce through a GINN's frontal armor.

"This is too easy," He murmurs as he got close, Zech pulls a beamsaber from under the shield, slicing off the head of one GINN and cutting the arm of another.

"That's because we're fighting pilot fresh from training," Noin reminded him. She fought largely in mobile fighter form, using her speed and firepower to best her opponents, maneuvering around set of GINN and letting have it with barrage of carefully aimed linear CIWS and beam fire.

"They're just beginning to learn how to control their suits," Xuiying noted, though she now had beamsabers, Hong still chose to fight with her anti-beam coated Dao blades, Kirin Fang and Blue Moon Dragon, which were just as effective as she disables three GINNs. "It's obvious in how they move."

"I can tell that too," Zech shook his head unhappily. "It's almost like we're bullying little kids."

"Well don't get too sympathetic," Noin calls as transforms into mobilesuit form wielding her "Bathala" beam rifles with the beam bayonets activated, slashing through several GINNs. "If they get lucky, those 'little kids' can just as easily kill you."

"You don't need to remind me," Zech blocks a missile with his SN-107G shield then firing back with his CIWS.

"Hostile mobile defenses are down forty-three percent," Trowa calls. "Take those ships out, I'll cover you."

"Right," Quatre replies.

"Whatever you say," Wufei answers back.

The Heavy Arms acted mostly as anti-missile defense as it backed up Sandrock and Shen Long as they moved in at individual Nazcas disabling the ship armaments one at a time.

Wufei used his Shen Long's, or 'Nataku' as he preferred to call his mobilesuit, beam glaive, tearing out the turrets with the fury of a warrior.

Quatre used Sandrock two massive beam shotels destroying most of the mounted weapons with one fast swipe.

ZAFT GINNs brave enough to try and stop them were quickly disabled by Trowa's precise accuracy. Still, some were able to get at the attacking mobilesuits, but the Shen Long and Sandrock easily dispatch them.

**Meanwhile, **

Visch and Grey's GINN HM, along with several others, moved in toward the Pasteur under the heavy cover Norris, Marvin and others. Marvin's GINN Assault Type fires it recoilless rifle, machinegun and Pardus in unison, Norris did the same with his rifle and grenade launchers.

One ZAFT GINN tries to stop Visch and Grey but was quickly taken out with a couple of well aimed shots from the assault rifle. Visch then made sure by cutting off its arms as they got close, "Too slow, boy."

Three Januarius GINNs then moved in, armed with Barrus rifles, they blast the hangar door of the Pasteur open. Another two GINNs armed with machineguns entered the Pasteur first before Visch and Grey.

It didn't take them long to find what they were looking for, a grey metallic figure stood alone in the middle of the hangar. The GINNs stood on either side of it, making sure no one from the Pasteur's crew would interfere.

Visch guides the GINN HM in front of the Guardian and opens the hatch. Both got out, Grey jacks the external terminal, canceling all the security measures.

"This thing should be fully operational," He mutters to Visch as he worked. "If it isn't, we'll have to carry it our GINN's back."

The one-eyed Special Forces man nods, mentally hoping it would be the former. "That'll be a pain."

At the moment, Grey got the hatch opened, both men quickly got in. After checking the reactor and some of the instruments, Grey quickly hands over the controls to Visch.

"The nuclear reactor's pretty much the same as the ones used for the original Proto-GINNs," The usually masked man explains. "You should able to handle this puppy right?"

Visch looks over the controls, recognizing what most did, he nods. "I'll get used to it pretty quick."

Grey nods back, "Good, well I'll–"

"Commander Grey!" His com-set suddenly cracks, "The CSA informed us we have several dozen GINNs incoming, but they don't seem to be from ZAFT."

The Defense Intelligence officer frowns, "What…?" He murmurs as he responds. "Copy, we'll pulling be out shortly."

Visch looks at him plainly, "Looks like someone else wants this suit."

"Looks the way…" Grey mutters, he then notes of the look in his friend's face. Quickly knowing what Visch wanted, he sighs. "Just make sure to deliver this mobilesuit in at least one tangible piece when you're done."

Visch grins widely, "Right."

Grey shook his head and heads back into his GINN HM. As he did so, Visch booted the mobilesuit's OS.

**MOBILE SUIT NEO OPERATION SYSTEM**

Ver. 1.07β  
**G**eneration  
**U**nsubdued  
**N**uclear  
**D**rive  
**A**ssault  
**M**odule  
**G.U.N.D.A.M Complex**  
**Series AVTC-T1 ZGMF-X07A Guardian ****LA-SE3P**

**Z.A.F.T**

"Okay, Phase shift…" He looks through the dash for the button, "Activating."

Sections of the Guardian's head, torso and forearm armor turns fire engine red. The rest was generally colored white.

"Okaaaay," He makes a quick look on the weapons system. "Weapons are good."

"Well?" He hears Grey's voice in the radio as continues to check off. "Aren't you going to test out this suit capabilities on or what?"

"I'm checking the systems, keep your pants on." Visch retorts, "Don't rush me."

Several moments later, the Guardian makes its first move, pulling out its handheld weapon the MA-M20 "Lupus" high-energy beam rifle. Visch then moves it to the hangar entrance.

"Alrighty," Visch says as he finally activates the thrusters. "Let's see what this puppy can do!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N: **Some interesting developments happening in space, the Januarius Faction with the help of the CSA have made their first move stealing from their own nation, whilst another element within ZAFT is plotting against it. More OC introductions, Julian Weather, Reno Pagadua, Tank Le Saint Claire, Kyoko Takeda and rest of my Junk Guild team. They're going to be key supporting characters, especially later in the story. And finally, Antonio agrees to take Kira under his wing.

Tell what you think, pls. R & R.

- Watchman


End file.
